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Senior human resources/recruiter education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior human resources/recruiter. Senior human resources/recruiters usually study business, human resources management, or psychology. 65% of senior human resources/recruiters hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 435 real senior human resources/recruiter resumes to see exactly what senior human resources/recruiter education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior human resources/recruiters are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online senior human resources/recruiter courses to help get the education required to be a senior human resources/recruiter.

There are certain senior human resources/recruiter certifications that you should consider. These senior human resources/recruiter certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP).

What education do you need to become a senior human resources/recruiter?

What degree do you need to be a senior human resources/recruiter?

The most common degree for senior human resources/recruiters is bachelor's degree, with 65% of senior human resources/recruiters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 65%
  • Master's, 19%
  • Associate, 11%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a senior human resources/recruiter?

You should major in business to become a senior human resources/recruiter. 31% of senior human resources/recruiters major in business. Other common majors for a senior human resources/recruiter include human resources management and psychology.

Most common colleges for senior human resources/recruiters

Senior human resources/recruiters often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Arizona State University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for senior human resources/recruiters in the US based on their resumes.
Senior human resources/recruiter common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix18.03%
Arizona State University6.56%
Pennsylvania State University6.56%
Ithaca College4.92%
University of Wisconsin Colleges4.92%

Best majors for senior human resources/recruiters

RankMajorPercentages
1Business31.3%
2Human Resources Management18.1%
3Psychology6.8%
4Management4.9%
5Sociology4.5%

Best colleges for senior human resources/recruiters

The best colleges for senior human resources/recruiters are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A senior human resources/recruiter with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior human resources/recruiters. 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 senior human resources/recruiters.

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. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

20 best online courses for senior human resources/recruiters

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1. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0

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3. Introduction to Human Resource Concepts

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4. Ultimate HR Generalist and Human Resource Management Course

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Hands-on HR Certification: All HRM topics. Master Employee Life Cycle, Payroll, Recruitment, Engagement, EXDesign and AI...

5. Effective Human Resource Administration

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6. Social Media Recruitment for Human Resource Professionals

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Complete Recruitment Workshop for HR Professionals to find talent on Social Networks, Linked In & 20+ Talent Communities...

7. Human Resources For Beginners

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A guide to learning the fundamentals of human resource management...

8. Boolean Search for Recruitment & Sourcing (Human Resource)

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9. Certification Course in Human Resource Management

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15. Recruitment Interviewing Essentials: Interviewing Made Easy

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17. Introduction to Human Resource Management

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior human resources/recruiters

The most affordable schools for senior human resources/recruiters are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for senior human resources/recruiters 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 senior human resources/recruiters.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

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 senior human resources/recruiters

The hardest universities for senior human resources/recruiters to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for senior human resources/recruiters 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 senior human resources/recruiters 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior human resources/recruiters

The easiest schools for senior human resources/recruiters to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and university of north texas at dallas.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior human resources/recruiter 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 senior human resources/recruiters.

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. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average senior human resources/recruiter salary by education level

Senior human resources/recruiters with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $77,545 annually. With a Master's degree, senior human resources/recruiters earn a median annual income of $73,003 compared to $66,949 for senior human resources/recruiters with an Bachelor's degree.
Senior human resources/recruiter education levelSenior human resources/recruiter salary
Master's Degree$73,003
High School Diploma or Less$57,543
Bachelor's Degree$66,949
Doctorate Degree$77,545
Some College/ Associate Degree$57,707

Senior human resources/recruiter 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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