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2024 Best Human Resource Management Schools

451 Colleges in the United States
27,074 HR Degrees Awarded
$49,791 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in human resource management is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #45 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 451 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Human Resource Management Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 27,074 degrees in human resource management during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Human Resource Management School

Best Human Resource Management Schools The hr program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Human Resource Management rankings. We derive our Best Overall Human Resource Management School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Human Resource Management Degree Level

Associate Degrees in HR
Bachelor's Degrees in HR
Master's Degrees in HR
Doctor's Degrees in HR

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Human Resource Management Schools list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Human Resource Management in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of hr degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in HR

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
388 HR Degrees Awarded
2.3% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat Cornell University if you want to pursue a degree in human resource management. Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were approximately 388 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Human Resource Management degree recipients from Cornell University receive an earnings boost of around $15,905 over the typical income of human resource management majors.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Cornell University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In MO
57 HR Degrees Awarded

It's hard to beat Washington University in St Louis if you want to pursue a degree in human resource management. WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were about 57 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Washington University in St Louis

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 HR Degrees Awarded
$91,891 Median Starting Salary

University of Pennsylvania is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in human resource management. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 53 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Those human resource management students who get their degree from University of Pennsylvania earn $42,100 more than the standard hr grad.

More information about a degree in human resource management from University of Pennsylvania

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 HR Degrees Awarded
2.3% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in human resource management needs to look into Northwestern University. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 44 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Human Resource Management degree recipients from Northwestern University receive an earnings boost of about $19,559 over the average earnings of human resource management graduates.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Northwestern University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 HR Degrees Awarded
21.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 46 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. Human Resource Management degree recipients from Vanderbilt University get an earnings boost of around $58,912 above the typical earnings of human resource management majors.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Vanderbilt University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
286 HR Degrees Awarded
2.8% Growth in Graduates

Villanova is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Villanova. This university ranks 5th out of 109 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 286 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent year we have data available. Human Resource Management degree recipients from Villanova University get an earnings boost of about $34,792 over the typical earnings of human resource management majors.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Villanova University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In CA
218 HR Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 218 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in human resource management from University of Southern California

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
154 HR Degrees Awarded
18.2% Growth in Graduates

UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 154 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Human Resource Management degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive an earnings boost of about $38,132 over the average earnings of human resource management graduates.

More information about a degree in human resource management from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
212 HR Degrees Awarded
$60,856 Median Starting Salary

UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis. This university ranks 1st out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 212 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Those human resource management students who get their degree from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn $11,065 more than the standard hr grad.

More information about a degree in human resource management from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
206 HR Degrees Awarded
$80,936 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 8 colleges for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were approximately 206 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent data year. Those human resource management students who get their degree from George Washington University earn $31,146 more than the standard hr graduate.

More information about a degree in human resource management from George Washington University

11
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In MA
174 HR Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were about 174 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Harvard University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
204 HR Degrees Awarded
13.2% Growth in Graduates

Michigan State is a fairly large public university located in the city of East Lansing. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 204 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Human Resource Management degree recipients from Michigan State University earn a boost of approximately $19,903 over the average earnings of human resource management graduates.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Michigan State University

13
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
164 HR Degrees Awarded
4.3% Growth in Graduates

Texas A&M College Station is a very large public university located in the midsize city of College Station. This university ranks 3rd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 164 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year. Human Resource Management degree recipients from Texas A&M University - College Station earn a boost of approximately $18,504 over the typical earnings of human resource management graduates.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Texas A&M University - College Station

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
533 HR Degrees Awarded
12.8% Growth in Graduates

University of Oklahoma is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Norman. This university ranks 1st out of 32 colleges for overall quality in the state of Oklahoma.

There were roughly 533 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at University of Oklahoma in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the hr program make around $44,903 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in human resource management from University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

15
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
50 HR Degrees Awarded
4.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were approximately 50 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Human Resource Management degree recipients from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor receive an earnings boost of around $11,556 above the average income of human resource management majors.

More information about a degree in human resource management from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

16
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 HR Degrees Awarded
4.3% Growth in Graduates

Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were approximately 70 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent year we have data available. Human Resource Management degree recipients from Georgetown University earn a boost of about $24,181 above the typical earnings of human resource management graduates.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Georgetown University

17
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
531 HR Degrees Awarded
$52,024 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of New Brunswick, Rutgers New Brunswick is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 44 schools for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.

There were about 531 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at Rutgers New Brunswick in the most recent data year. Human Resource Management degree recipients from Rutgers University - New Brunswick earn a boost of approximately $2,233 above the average earnings of human resource management graduates.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Rutgers University - New Brunswick

18
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In IN
33 HR Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were about 33 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Indiana University - Bloomington

19
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In CA
38 HR Degrees Awarded

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 38 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in human resource management from University of California - Los Angeles

20
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
81 HR Degrees Awarded
$39,592 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were roughly 81 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, hr degree recipients generally make around $39,592 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in human resource management from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

21
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 HR Degrees Awarded
$92,220 Median Starting Salary

Pepperdine is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Malibu. This university ranks 16th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 47 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at Pepperdine in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the human resource management program at Pepperdine University make $42,429 above the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Pepperdine University

22
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
154 HR Degrees Awarded
$57,215 Median Starting Salary

Temple is a very large public university located in the large city of Philadelphia. This university ranks 11th out of 109 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 154 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent data year. Human Resource Management degree recipients from Temple University get an earnings boost of around $7,424 over the average income of human resource management graduates.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Temple University

23
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 HR Degrees Awarded
23.6% Growth in Graduates

Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. This university ranks 4th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 55 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, hr degree recipients usually earn around $50,600 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Loyola University Chicago

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
752 HR Degrees Awarded
$59,268 Median Starting Salary

Colorado State University - Global Campus is a moderately-sized public university located in the large city of Aurora. This university ranks 5th out of 33 colleges for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were about 752 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at Colorado State University - Global Campus in the most recent year we have data available. Those human resource management students who get their degree from Colorado State University - Global Campus earn $9,477 more than the standard hr graduate.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Colorado State University - Global Campus

25
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In CA
38 HR Degrees Awarded

SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Santa Clara. This university ranks 12th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 38 human resource management students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in human resource management from Santa Clara University

Rest of the Top Best Human Resource Management Schools

26
27
28
29
30
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
31
32

33

34
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, MI
35
36
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA
37
38
39
40
41

42

43
44
45
46
47
48
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, MO
49
50

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Human Resource Management Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 451 different United States human resource management schools we analyzed.

RankCollegeLocation
51Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA
52University of Washington - Seattle CampusSeattle, WA
53University of ScrantonScranton, PA
54University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
55Providence CollegeProvidence, RI
56University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL
57SUNY Empire State CollegeSaratoga Springs, NY
58Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI
59Bellevue UniversityBellevue, NE
60Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI
61Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
62Concordia University, ChicagoRiver Forest, IL
63Columbia Southern UniversityOrange Beach, AL
64Nova Southeastern UniversityFort Lauderdale, FL
65University of North TexasDenton, TX
66Bryant UniversitySmithfield, RI
67Benedictine UniversityLisle, IL

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Human Resource Management Schools award.

RankCollegeLocation
68Park UniversityParkville, MO
69Seton Hall UniversitySouth Orange, NJ
70Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI
71Southern New Hampshire UniversityManchester, NH
72Rasmussen University - MinnesotaSt. Cloud, MN
73University of the Incarnate WordSan Antonio, TX
74Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
75University of St Thomas MinnesotaSaint Paul, MN
76Western Governors UniversitySalt Lake City, UT
77Waukesha County Technical CollegePewaukee, WI
78Indiana Wesleyan University - National & GlobalMarion, IN
79American UniversityWashington, DC
80University of HoustonHouston, TX
81DePaul UniversityChicago, IL
82University of ToledoToledo, OH
83The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
84Rasmussen University - IllinoisRockford, IL
85Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
86Portland State UniversityPortland, OR
87Rider UniversityLawrenceville, NJ
88Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI
89Saint Mary’s University of MinnesotaWinona, MN
90Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY

Human Resource Management by Region

View the Best Human Resource Management Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 21 majors within the Business, Management & Marketing area of study, Human Resource Management has other similar majors worth exploring.

HR Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
General Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration18,023
Organizational Behavior Studies3,650
Human Resources Development2,083
Labor & Industrial Relations1,778
Other Human Resources Management and Services1,254
Labor Studies193
Executive/Career Coaching93

View All HR Concentrations >

Majors Similar to HR

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Business Administration & Management403,753
Accounting93,982
General Business/Commerce56,779
Finance & Financial Management54,690
Marketing52,078
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods48,037
Business Support & Assistant Services19,686
Hospitality Management16,015
Management Information Systems12,429
Entrepreneurial Studies12,241

View All HR Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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