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Tour operator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a tour operator. Tour operators usually study business, hospitality management, or english. 63% of tour operators hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 676 real tour operator resumes to see exactly what tour operator education sections show.
The most common colleges for tour operators are the Cairn University and the Cairn University.
There are also many online tour operator courses to help get the education required to be a tour operator.
There are certain tour operator certifications that you should consider. These tour operator certifications include Travel and Tourism Professional (TTP) and Certified Hospitality and Tourism Management Professional (CHTMP).
What education do you need to become a tour operator?
What degree do you need to be a tour operator?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Associate, 13%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a tour operator?
Most common colleges for tour operators
| Tour operator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Cairn University | 9.84% |
| Miami Dade College | 8.20% |
| University of California - Davis | 8.20% |
| San Diego State University | 8.20% |
| Utah State University | 8.20% |
Best majors for tour operators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 22.1% |
| 2 | Hospitality Management | 20.2% |
| 3 | English | 9.6% |
| 4 | Marketing | 5.5% |
| 5 | Accounting | 4.4% |
Best colleges for tour operators
The best colleges for tour operators are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University.
A tour operator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for tour operators. 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 tour operators.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. University of Akron
Akron, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,463
Enrollment
13,676
20 best online courses for tour operators
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Top 10 most affordable universities for tour operators
The most affordable schools for tour operators are USF Sarasota-Manatee, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for tour operators 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 tour operators.
1. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for tour operators
The hardest universities for tour operators to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University.
Some great schools for tour operators 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 tour operators 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for tour operators
The easiest schools for tour operators to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a tour operator 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 tour operators.
1. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
9. Cleary University
Howell, MI • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,039
10. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
Average tour operator salary by education level
| Tour operator education level | Tour operator salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $48,125 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,893 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $55,122 |
Tour operator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025