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Special projects coordinator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a special projects coordinator. Special projects coordinators usually study business, communication, or political science. 68% of special projects coordinators hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 5,438 real special projects coordinator resumes to see exactly what special projects coordinator education sections show.

The most common colleges for special projects coordinators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online special projects coordinator courses to help get the education required to be a special projects coordinator.

There are certain special projects coordinator certifications that you should consider. These special projects coordinator certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS).

What education do you need to become a special projects coordinator?

What degree do you need to be a special projects coordinator?

The most common degree for special projects coordinators is bachelor's degree, with 68% of special projects coordinators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Master's, 13%
  • Associate, 12%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a special projects coordinator?

You should major in business to become a special projects coordinator. 26% of special projects coordinators major in business. Other common majors for a special projects coordinator include communication and political science.

Most common colleges for special projects coordinators

Special projects coordinators often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Florida State University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for special projects coordinators in the US based on their resumes.
Special projects coordinator common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix12.78%
Florida State University8.11%
University of Maryland - College Park5.16%
Howard University5.16%
New York University4.91%

Best majors for special projects coordinators

RankMajorPercentages
1Business25.8%
2Communication9.4%
3Political Science6.9%
4Psychology6.7%
5Marketing5.3%

Best colleges for special projects coordinators

The best colleges for special projects coordinators are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

A special projects coordinator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for special projects coordinators. 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 special projects coordinators.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

20 best online courses for special projects coordinators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for special projects coordinators

The most affordable schools for special projects coordinators are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for special projects coordinators 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 special projects coordinators.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for special projects coordinators

The hardest universities for special projects coordinators to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for special projects coordinators 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 special projects coordinators 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for special projects coordinators

The easiest schools for special projects coordinators to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a special projects coordinator 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 special projects coordinators.

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. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

9. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average special projects coordinator salary by education level

According to our data, special projects coordinators with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $55,607 annually. Special projects coordinators with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $53,059.
Special projects coordinator education levelSpecial projects coordinator salary
Master's Degree$53,059
High School Diploma or Less$39,299
Bachelor's Degree$48,147
Doctorate Degree$55,607
Some College/ Associate Degree$40,997

Special projects coordinator 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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