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School principal education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a school principal. School principals usually study educational leadership, education, or elementary education. 46% of school principals hold a bachelor's degree, and 39% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,615 real school principal resumes to see exactly what school principal education sections show.
The most common colleges for school principals are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online school principal courses to help get the education required to be a school principal.
There are certain school principal certifications that you should consider. These school principal certifications include Certified Security Supervision & Management (CSS) and Certified Advertising Specialist (CAS).
What education do you need to become a school principal?
What degree do you need to be a school principal?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Master's, 39%
- Doctorate, 6%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a school principal?
- Education, 18%
- Elementary Education, 14%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for school principals
| School principal common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.18% |
| Howard University | 7.45% |
| Southeastern University | 6.83% |
| San Diego State University | 5.59% |
| Trinity College | 4.97% |
Best majors for school principals
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Educational Leadership | 22.8% |
| 2 | Education | 17.9% |
| 3 | Elementary Education | 14.4% |
| 4 | Business | 7.0% |
| 5 | General Education, Specific Areas | 5.0% |
Best colleges for school principals
The best colleges for school principals are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A school principal with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for school principals. 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 school principals.
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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
7. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
20 best online courses for school principals
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Top 10 most affordable universities for school principals
The most affordable schools for school principals are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for school principals 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 school principals.
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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for school principals
The hardest universities for school principals to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for school principals 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 school principals 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for school principals
The easiest schools for school principals to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a school principal 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 school principals.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
Average school principal salary by education level
| School principal education level | School principal salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $108,347 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $95,928 |
| Doctorate Degree | $118,006 |
School principal education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025