While not all college presidents, even at smaller schools, have Ph.Ds, it makes sense for someone in that position to have a full understanding of the mission of such an institution, and that means being fully qualified as an academic. You wouldn’t expect an artist, no matter how good, to be a great hospital administrator, nor would you put a leading dentist in charge of the military (for some reason we do keep putting non-politicians into government leadership, and look at what that gets us!). Every once in a while, schools put a leader from government or industry into a Presidency for the university, usually for the prominence, connections, and money it is anticipated that person will be able to bring to the institution. In most cases, there are serious problems, because it is hard for an executive, who is used to being able to fire anyone who disagrees with his direction, to manage hundreds of professionals with tenure! It takes a completely different management style. Nor do many people from outside of academia recognize what constitutes quality in the academic realm, so they often become very focused on doing a lot things, but not terribly well. In general, it is not that a President needs to be a Philosopher, or a Physicist specifically to do the job well, but they have to understand the academic enterprise, and since someone without a degree cannot have held a faculty position at most of these universities, they are unlikely to manage those who do hold them well.

No, the president of a college is really a CEO of a company. His main concerns are supposed to be students and learning, but he reports to a board of directors and has to make the best of what money and resources are available to him. Phd degree has little to do with this.

Absolutely the president of a college should have a PhD or other doctorate (EdD, MD, OD, etc)!!!! Who else could fully understand the complexities of academia, or hold the respect of a faculty of highly educated professors? It may not matter to the students, but it certainly matters to the actual employees of the company (and if you think a school isn’t a company, you have a lot to learn!)

I differ from the previous comment. College presidents are required to have PhD. for most 4 year institutions.

It seems like if you want to be president, all you need is a lot of money and the ability to talk shyt