Unit leader education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a unit leader. Unit leaders usually study business, psychology, or nursing. 61% of unit leaders hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,838 real unit leader resumes to see exactly what unit leader education sections show.

The most common colleges for unit leaders are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online unit leader courses to help get the education required to be a unit leader.

What education do you need to become a unit leader?

What degree do you need to be a unit leader?

The most common degree for unit leaders is bachelor's degree, with 61% of unit leaders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 61%

Associate, 16%

High School Diploma, 10%

Master's, 9%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a unit leader?

You should major in business to become a unit leader. 23% of unit leaders major in business. Other common majors for a unit leader include psychology and nursing.

Business, 23%

Psychology, 11%

Nursing, 10%

Criminal Justice, 6%

Other Majors, 50%

Most common colleges for unit leaders

Unit leaders often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Michigan State University, and University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. Here are the most common colleges for unit leaders in the US based on their resumes.

Unit leader common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	15.46%
Michigan State University	6.87%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point	5.84%
Arizona State University	5.15%
University of New Hampshire	4.81%

Show more common unit leader colleges

Best majors for unit leaders

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	23.2%
2	Psychology	10.7%
3	Nursing	10.1%
4	Criminal Justice	5.5%
5	Management	4.4%

Show more common unit leader majors

Best colleges for unit leaders

The best colleges for unit leaders are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

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

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

4. University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$7,092

Enrollment

1,216

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

20 best online courses for unit leaders

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Top 10 most affordable universities for unit leaders

The most affordable schools for unit leaders are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for unit leaders 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 unit leaders.

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for unit leaders

The hardest universities for unit leaders to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for unit leaders 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 unit leaders 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

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

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. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for unit leaders

The easiest schools for unit leaders to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, d'youville college, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a unit leader 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 unit leaders.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average unit leader salary by education level

According to our data, unit leaders with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $65,183 annually. Unit leaders with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $58,141.

Unit leader education level	Unit leader salary
Master's Degree	$65,183
High School Diploma or Less	$38,611
Bachelor's Degree	$58,141
Some College/ Associate Degree	$50,114

Unit leader education FAQs

What is the best college for Unit Leaders?

Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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