Most student achievement research focuses on four areas: principal tenure, experience, leadership style and school culture. One area needing further research is how the effect of a principal's educational level affects student achievement. Haller (1997) states administrators with a B.A. degree have higher effectiveness scores than principals with advanced degrees. Some research shows when principals gain higher education, the overall performance of the school decreases (Dehuey, 2014). This limited and ambiguous research serves as the project's premise, asking the overarching question, "Is there a relationship between the educational level of attainment of a principal and student achievement in their school?". [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]