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Student dean education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a student dean. Student deans usually study educational leadership, education, or business. 56% of student deans hold a bachelor's degree, and 32% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,980 real student dean resumes to see exactly what student dean education sections show.

The most common colleges for student deans are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online student dean courses to help get the education required to be a student dean.

There are certain student dean certifications that you should consider. These student dean certifications include Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) and Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:).

What education do you need to become a student dean?

What degree do you need to be a student dean?

The most common degree for student deans is bachelor's degree, with 56% of student deans earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 32% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 56%
  • Master's, 32%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a student dean?

You should major in educational leadership to become a student dean. 16% of student deans major in educational leadership. Other common majors for a student dean include education and business.

Most common colleges for student deans

Student deans often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University, and Howard University. Here are the most common colleges for student deans in the US based on their resumes.
Student dean common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix13.75%
Grand Canyon University6.53%
Howard University5.84%
Temple University5.50%
Florida State University5.50%

Best majors for student deans

RankMajorPercentages
1Educational Leadership16.2%
2Education12.6%
3Business11.3%
4Elementary Education6.9%
5Psychology6.6%

Best colleges for student deans

The best colleges for student deans are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A student dean with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for student deans. 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 student deans.

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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

20 best online courses for student deans

Advertising disclosure

1. Enhance Student Learning through Kahoot

coursera

By the end of this project, you will have created a Kahoot collection that will engage your students during virtual learning or as a more engaging way to encourage practice and review at home or in the classroom. Teaching is constantly evolving. As we learn more about our students, we uncover new ways to ensure that they are not just learning - they are thriving. When we can connect our tech-savvy students to tech-connected learning, our students are more likely to enjoy learning. We can also...

2. Engage and Assess Students with Quizizz

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By the end of this project, you will be ready to use Quizizz with your students to create gamified quizzes, polls, and lessons. Whether you are teaching online or in the classroom, Quizizz allows you to gather valuable assessment data while your students are actively engaged in a friendly competitive game. Throughout each task, we will set up your Quizizz account and learn how to create your own quizzes as well as use the reporting feature to see how your students are progressing. Engage your...

3. Crisis Intervention Seminar

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4.4
(634)

The emphasis is on the development of fundamental clinical skills in the area of crisis intervention...

4. Law: A Comprehensive Summary for LLB Students

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4.2
(253)

An essential 24 hours of Video Lectures, Spider Graphs and Case Summaries made to guide LLB students preparing for exams...

5. Encouraging Student Collaboration with Padlet

coursera

By the end of this project, you be able to use Padlet to create a collaborative classroom fostering interactive student engagements, creating virtual lessons, and more. With Padlet, teachers and students can collaborate in real time on lessons, projects, and anything else you can imagine. Together, we will learn how to use Padlet to connect with students during virtual learning, for in class collaboration, and discover ways to improve our ability to differentiate instruction using Padlet. The...

6. Creating a Student Profile in Google Docs

coursera

By the end of this project, you will have created a Student Profile in Google Docs that will allow you identify student needs and differentiate instruction. We will work together to learn how to use Google Docs as we create a Student Profile template and complete it for a particular student you have in mind. You will be provided with additional resources that will help improve your teaching practice through identification of students needs and ensuring that the appropriate accommodations are...

7. Dosage Calculations Mastery for Nursing & Pharmacy Students

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4.5
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Master Dosage Calculations in 5 Hours Without Memorizing Any Formulas and Pass the NCLEX or PTCB Exam...

8. Thermodynamics for Engineering Students

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4.8
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A Detailed Introduction to Thermodynamics...

9. Increase Student Buy in with Google Slides

coursera

By the end of this project, you will have created a student punchcard that will engage your students during virtual learning or as a more engaging way to encourage buy in during classroom learning. Teaching is constantly evolving. As we learn more about our students, we uncover new ways to ensure that they are not just learning - they are thriving. Using a punchcard will not only provide your students with more choice and independence, it will also provide your classroom with the procedures and...

10. Unleash Student Creativity with Buncee

coursera

By the end of this project, you will be able to use Buncee to unleash your students’ creativity. Buncee is “a creation and communication tool… to create interactive content, allowing those of all ages to visualize concepts and communicate creatively.” With Buncee, learning becomes more personalized as students are able to share through engaging multimedia projects using Buncee’s templates, stickers, and animations. Throughout this project, we will work together to ensure that you are confident...

11. Cisco Troubleshooting Labs For CCNA, CCNP, and CCIE Students

udemy
4.9
(496)

TSHOOT Labs in Routing, Switching, BGP, IPv6, IP Services, MPLS, and Security for CCNA, CCNP, and CCIE Students...

12. Productivity for Students: Study Smarter, Not Harder

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4.3
(319)

Powerful learning strategies to increase your personal productivity: Studying SMART with Project Elon founder Mike Elon...

13. Create a Record of Students using Arrays in Java

coursera

This project provides a step-by-step approach in instruction and will equip you with fundamental concepts of creating arrays and array lists in Java programming, from the ground up. Using jGRASP development environment, you will create a Java project that records and processes students’ data. The data includes name, mode of study, and marks. Using this data, you will output the student details, compute the total marks per student, determine the average mark, and the highest mark for the class...

14. Using Google Forms for Student Success

coursera

By the end of this project, you have used Google Forms to create several tools to use with your students and parents in order to ensure a successful school year. With volunteer sign-up forms, you can simplify your volunteer process within your classroom and across the school. Through exit tickets and assessments, you will be able to check your student’s understanding of the content taught that day or during a unit so that you can adjust instruction to address misunderstandings or gather...

15. Business English Course for ESL Students

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4.6
(9,199)

Learn essential Business English vocabulary for presentations, meetings, negotiations, phone calls, e-mails, and more!...

16. Student Self-Assessment with Microsoft Word

coursera

By the end of this project, you will have created a self-report card and a behaviour reflection form for student self-reflection. You will also be equipped with suggestions for how to use these documents with students. Encouraging our students to reflect on their learning is one of many goals we have as teachers. One valuable way to do this is by allowing our students to share their perspective on the school year. What areas are going well for them? What areas do they see where they could grow?...

17. Preparing for Graduate Study in the U.S.: A course for international students

coursera

Preparing for graduate school in the United States can be nerve-wracking. Many international students have questions about what the programs are like and what resources they can use to excel in their studies. This course allows potential and incoming international students to practice their communication skills, identify tools that support academic success, and gain confidence as they prepare for their advanced degrees. Alongside advancing your English skills, get the chance to hear from...

18. A Law Student's Toolkit

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Whether you are an advanced law student looking to review the basics, or an aspiring law student looking for head start, this course will help you build the foundation you will need to succeed in law school and beyond. This course will introduce you to terminology, concepts, and tools lawyers and legal academics use to make their arguments. It will help you follow these arguments—and make arguments of your own. This course consists of a series of short lectures and assignments. A reading list...

19. Sort students marks using bubble and insertion algorithms

coursera

The learner will create two sorting algorithms in Java programming language. The learner will create an optimised bubble sort function that sorts students' marks in ascending order by repeatedly swapping adjacent elements within an array if they are in the wrong order. The learner will also create an insertion sort function that sorts students' marks in ascending order by building a sorted array, one element at a time...

20. Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Introduction to Student Assessment

coursera

The Foundations of Teaching for Learning programme is for anyone who is teaching, or who would like to teach, in any subject and any context - be it at school, at home or in the workplace. With dynamic lessons taught by established and respected professionals from across the Commonwealth, this eight course programme will see you develop and strengthen your skills in teaching, professionalism, assessment, and more. As you carry on through the programme, you will find yourself strengthening not...

Top 10 most affordable universities for student deans

The most affordable schools for student deans are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for student deans 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 student deans.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for student deans

The hardest universities for student deans to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for student deans 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 student deans 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for student deans

The easiest schools for student deans 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 student dean 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 student deans.

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. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average student dean salary by education level

According to our data, student deans with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $88,551 annually. Student deans with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $74,335.
Student dean education levelStudent dean salary
Master's Degree$74,335
Bachelor's Degree$58,007
Doctorate Degree$88,551

Student dean 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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