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Recruiter associate education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a recruiter associate. Recruiter associates usually study business, human resources management, or psychology. 78% of recruiter associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,066 real recruiter associate resumes to see exactly what recruiter associate education sections show.

The most common colleges for recruiter associates are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online recruiter associate courses to help get the education required to be a recruiter associate.

What education do you need to become a recruiter associate?

What degree do you need to be a recruiter associate?

The most common degree for recruiter associates is bachelor's degree, with 78% of recruiter associates earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 10% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 78%
  • Master's, 10%
  • Associate, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a recruiter associate?

You should major in business to become a recruiter associate. 25% of recruiter associates major in business. Other common majors for a recruiter associate include human resources management and psychology.

Most common colleges for recruiter associates

Recruiter associates often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Wisconsin Colleges, and University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. Here are the most common colleges for recruiter associates in the US based on their resumes.
Recruiter associate common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix8.89%
University of Wisconsin Colleges7.56%
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee6.67%
University of California - Davis6.22%
Arizona State University5.33%

Best majors for recruiter associates

RankMajorPercentages
1Business25.2%
2Human Resources Management11.3%
3Psychology11.3%
4Communication9.8%
5Marketing6.5%

Best colleges for recruiter associates

The best colleges for recruiter associates are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

A recruiter associate with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for recruiter associates. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become recruiter associates.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

20 best online courses for recruiter associates

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Top 10 most affordable universities for recruiter associates

The most affordable schools for recruiter associates are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for recruiter associates are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for recruiter associates.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for recruiter associates

The hardest universities for recruiter associates to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for recruiter associates are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for recruiter associates based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for recruiter associates

The easiest schools for recruiter associates to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a recruiter associate without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for recruiter associates.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average recruiter associate salary by education level

Recruiter associates with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $68,581 annually. With a Master's degree, recruiter associates earn a median annual income of $64,512 compared to $59,092 for recruiter associates with an Bachelor's degree.
Recruiter associate education levelRecruiter associate salary
Master's Degree$64,512
High School Diploma or Less$50,687
Bachelor's Degree$59,092
Doctorate Degree$68,581
Some College/ Associate Degree$50,833

Recruiter associate education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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