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Unit supervisor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a unit supervisor. Unit supervisors usually study business, nursing, or psychology. 55% of unit supervisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,243 real unit supervisor resumes to see exactly what unit supervisor education sections show.

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

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

There are certain unit supervisor certifications that you should consider. These unit supervisor certifications include Certified Security Supervision & Management (CSS) and Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA).

What education do you need to become a unit supervisor?

What degree do you need to be a unit supervisor?

The most common degree for unit supervisors is bachelor's degree, with 55% of unit supervisors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 55%
  • Associate, 20%
  • Master's, 14%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a unit supervisor?

You should major in business to become a unit supervisor. 20% of unit supervisors major in business. Other common majors for a unit supervisor include nursing and psychology.

Most common colleges for unit supervisors

Unit supervisors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for unit supervisors in the US based on their resumes.
Unit supervisor common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix20.57%
New York University7.91%
Arizona State University5.70%
Ohio State University5.38%
Purdue University4.75%

Best majors for unit supervisors

RankMajorPercentages
1Business19.9%
2Nursing15.6%
3Psychology11.6%
4Criminal Justice11.4%
5Social Work6.3%

Best colleges for unit supervisors

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

A unit 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 unit 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 unit supervisors.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology at Morrisville

Morrisville, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,670

Enrollment

2,758

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for unit supervisors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for unit supervisors

The most affordable schools for unit supervisors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and university of florida.

If the best universities for unit 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 unit supervisors.

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 - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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 unit supervisors

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

Some great schools for unit 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 unit 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

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

The easiest schools for unit supervisors to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.

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

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

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. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. University of Maine at Fort Kent

Fort Kent, ME • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

1,005

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average unit supervisor salary by education level

According to our data, unit supervisors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $75,916 annually. Unit supervisors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $69,546.
Unit supervisor education levelUnit supervisor salary
Master's Degree$69,546
High School Diploma or Less$48,235
Bachelor's Degree$59,432
Doctorate Degree$75,916
Some College/ Associate Degree$50,419

Unit supervisor 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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