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Supervisor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a supervisor. Supervisors usually study business, criminal justice, or psychology. 44% of supervisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 426,301 real supervisor resumes to see exactly what supervisor education sections show.
The most common colleges for supervisors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online supervisor courses to help get the education required to be a supervisor.
There are certain supervisor certifications that you should consider. These supervisor certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.
What education do you need to become a supervisor?
What degree do you need to be a supervisor?
- Bachelor's, 44%
- High School Diploma, 21%
- Associate, 20%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a supervisor?
- Business, 28%
- Criminal Justice, 8%
- Psychology, 8%
- General Studies, 6%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for supervisors
| Supervisor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 24.79% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.16% |
| DeVry University | 4.96% |
| Michigan State University | 4.73% |
| Ohio State University | 4.51% |
Best majors for supervisors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 27.9% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 7.8% |
| 3 | Psychology | 7.6% |
| 4 | General Studies | 6.0% |
| 5 | Accounting | 5.8% |
Best colleges for supervisors
The best colleges for supervisors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A supervisor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for supervisors. 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 supervisors.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Maine Maritime Academy
Castine, ME • Private
In-state tuition
$13,478
Enrollment
979
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
20 best online courses for supervisors
Advertising disclosure
1. Supervisor Leadership Skills for a Safe Workplace
Learn safety communication skills to foster safety accountability, responsibility and correct safety behaviours...
2. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)
Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...
3. OSHA Safety Pro: Trenching Excavation & Soil Mechanics
A quick yet detailed certification in OSHA safety with a focus on Trenching, Excavation, & Soil Mechanics...
4. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment
Impress management or get that job with you your ability to display life and dollar saving work place safety practices...
5. Food Safety for Managers and Supervisors
The Highfield Food Safety Level 3 syllabus presented in two hours of video tutorials. Boost your food safety knowledge...
6. Basic Certificate in Health Safety & Environment-HSE Level 2
A comprehensive course for Safety Officers, Supervisors, Managers and Aspiring Safety Professionals...
7. OSHA Safety Pro: Deadly Concrete Dust. Crystalline Silica.
OSHA's General, Construction, and Maritime Industries Hazard Prevention and Safety Standard...
8. Dealing With Angry Customers
Skills and Techniques for Handling Most Customer Situations...
9. Customer Service
How to Approach New Customers and Maintain Existing Ones...
10. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System
Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...
11. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...
12. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives
Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...
13. HR Analytics: How To Create An HR Dashboard Using Excel
This course will teach the step by step process of creating an HR Dashboard from raw hr data using Excel...
14. OSHA Safety Training: Heat Stress Management
A Workplace Safety Management Course for Current and Future Safety Professionals...
15. 3-in-1 Banking, Banking Risk and Compliance Masterclass
The essentials of the banking business (business model, compliance, others), financial risk management and compliance...
16. OSHA Control of Hazardous Energy and Lock Out / Tag Out
OSHA required training under 29 CFR 1910 and 1926...
17. FATF Recommendations on High Risk Customers and Activities
Overview of FATF Recommendations on AML/ CFT for High Risk Customers and Activities PEPs and Correspondent Relationships...
18. Data Entry Skills: A Complete Data Entry Course from Scratch
A Complete Guide to Data Entry Skills: Learn Data Entry Skills and become a Data Entry Pro & Get a Online Data Entry Job...
19. OSHA Safety Training: Conducting Safety Meetings
A Brief Safety Management Course for Current and Aspiring Safety Professionals...
20. Intro to Business • HR: Payroll Fundamentals
Understand the Basics of Processing Employee Payroll...
Top 10 most affordable universities for supervisors
The most affordable schools for supervisors are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for supervisors 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 supervisors.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Cost of attendance
22,990
10. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for supervisors
The hardest universities for supervisors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for supervisors 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 supervisors 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for supervisors
The easiest schools for supervisors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a supervisor 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 supervisors.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
8. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
9. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
10. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
Average supervisor salary by education level
| Supervisor education level | Supervisor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $83,496 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $51,057 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $68,589 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $58,450 |
Supervisor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common production and manufacturing questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025