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Staff developer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a staff developer. Staff developers usually study nursing, elementary education, or business. 53% of staff developers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,775 real staff developer resumes to see exactly what staff developer education sections show.
The most common colleges for staff developers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online staff developer courses to help get the education required to be a staff developer.
What education do you need to become a staff developer?
What degree do you need to be a staff developer?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 16%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a staff developer?
Most common colleges for staff developers
| Staff developer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 15.60% |
| New York University | 7.80% |
| Long Island University | 6.38% |
| Bank Street College of Education | 5.67% |
| University of South Florida | 4.96% |
Best majors for staff developers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 32.2% |
| 2 | Elementary Education | 9.3% |
| 3 | Business | 8.7% |
| 4 | Education | 6.1% |
| 5 | Educational Leadership | 5.8% |
Best colleges for staff developers
The best colleges for staff developers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A staff developer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for staff developers. 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 staff developers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for staff developers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for staff developers
The most affordable schools for staff developers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for staff developers 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 staff developers.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
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 staff developers
The hardest universities for staff developers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for staff developers 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 staff developers 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for staff developers
The easiest schools for staff developers to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and ottawa university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a staff developer 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 staff developers.
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. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average staff developer salary by education level
| Staff developer education level | Staff developer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $117,166 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $95,843 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $109,755 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $101,294 |
Staff developer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025