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River boat captain education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a river boat captain. River boat captains usually study business, kinesiology, or human development. 79% of river boat captains hold a bachelor's degree, and 5% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 35 real river boat captain resumes to see exactly what river boat captain education sections show.

The most common colleges for river boat captains are the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa.

There are also many online river boat captain courses to help get the education required to be a river boat captain.

What education do you need to become a river boat captain?

What degree do you need to be a river boat captain?

The most common degree for river boat captains is bachelor's degree, with 79% of river boat captains earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 5% and high school diploma degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 79%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Diploma, 5%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a river boat captain?

You should major in business to become a river boat captain. 16% of river boat captains major in business. Other common majors for a river boat captain include kinesiology and human development.

Most common colleges for river boat captains

River boat captains often get their degrees at University of Iowa, University of Denver, and San Francisco State University. Here are the most common colleges for river boat captains in the US based on their resumes.
River boat captain common collegePercentages
University of Iowa16.67%
University of Denver11.11%
San Francisco State University5.56%
Florida Atlantic University5.56%
Arizona State University5.56%

Best majors for river boat captains

RankMajorPercentages
1Business15.8%
2Kinesiology15.8%
3Human Development5.3%
4Mechanical Engineering5.3%
5Finance5.3%

Best colleges for river boat captains

The best colleges for river boat captains are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.

A river boat captain with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for river boat captains. 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 river boat captains.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

6. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

7. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for river boat captains

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Top 10 most affordable universities for river boat captains

The most affordable schools for river boat captains are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for river boat captains 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 river boat captains.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for river boat captains

The hardest universities for river boat captains to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.

Some great schools for river boat captains 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 river boat captains 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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

4. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

5. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

8. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for river boat captains

The easiest schools for river boat captains to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a river boat captain 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 river boat captains.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

5. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

Average river boat captain salary by education level

According to our data, river boat captains with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $64,284 annually. River boat captains with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $54,657.
River boat captain education levelRiver boat captain salary
High School Diploma or Less$52,281
Bachelor's Degree$64,284
Some College/ Associate Degree$54,657

River boat captain 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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