If you are a high school or college student interested in business, entrepreneurship, finance, or marketing extracurriculars, you may wonder: What is DECA and why should I get involved? For one thing, you may have limited options for classes in these areas because of high school graduation requirements. If you’re in college, you may just be looking for opportunities to connect with likeminded peers and build skills for your future career. Well, these kinds of needs led to the formation of DECA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to training future business and entrepreneurial leaders.
For those wondering what is DECA and, perhaps more importantly, why DECA — you’re in the right place. In this “What is DECA?” guide, we’ll answer questions like:
- What is DECA?
- What is DECA’s mission?
- What do you do in a DECA club?
- What is DECA like in high school? What about in college?
- How can DECA help me advance my career and academic goals?
- How do I start a DECA chapter at my school?
- And more!
We’ll also cover how to apply for and win DECA scholarships and how to participate in DECA competitive events, like DECA nationals. But, before we jump into the exciting opportunities that come with being a DECA student, let’s start with the basics: What is DECA?
What is DECA?
Before we talk about specific aspects of DECA’s mission or programs, we first need to talk about what is DECA and where this organization came from.
DECA is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to prepare students for careers in various business and finance fields. They do this by providing DECA scholarships, sponsoring national DECA competitions, and holding conferences where students can be mentored by experts in these fields. DECA students typically want to pursue a career in one of four industries:
- Marketing and sales
- Management and entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Hospitality and tourism
There are both DECA high school students and collegiate DECA students, almost 300,000 students in total. These DECA students come from several different countries, including the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, and Germany. Because finance and business are such global fields, DECA prioritizes connecting students from different countries at DECA nationals and other DECA competitions. Over 200 different colleges and universities around the world have DECA chapters, and students can even start their own DECA chapter at their school if none already exists.
What does DECA stand for?
DECA began as a collective of local and state nonprofit clubs, each focused on a different industry and a different region of the country. As membership rapidly expanded, a committee was formed to reevaluate what is DECA and decide how the organization would continue to grow.
Ultimately, the decision was made to unify the clubs under one national organization. When DECA was founded back in 1937, the acronym stood for Distribution Education Clubs of America. Later, in 1991, the group rebranded again, leaving the acronym’s original meaning behind and simply taking the name “DECA.” (One reason being that the organization was no longer only focused on the United States.)
What is DECA’s mission?
When looking at what is DECA, it is vitally important to focus on the group’s mission statement. According to their website, DECA exists “to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.”
DECA takes its mission seriously and goes about enacting it through a variety of different programs and experiences. One of the main functions of the organization is to host DECA competitions and events, which include role plays, simulations, and online challenges. These competitions are the backbone of what is DECA. They provide real world experience for students who want to gain knowledge to help them in their future careers.
In addition to the DECA competitive events, the organization offers a wide range of academic programming aimed at educating students about subjects that they would not otherwise learn in their core classes. Many high schools do not have business classes, financial literary courses, or entrepreneurship teachers. So, DECA provides that education in the form of mentors and hands-on experiences. These could include setting up a business in a school, like a spirit shop, and training students how to run and manage that business.
Another key aspect of what is DECA is leadership training. DECA students take on leadership positions on marketing teams, pitch creation groups, and investment cohorts. Students learn from professional mentors and are given plenty of opportunities to put their skills into practice in the many DECA competitive events. Leadership is one of DECA’s core values. For this reason, they encourage members to start their own businesses at their schools, called school based enterprises. These school based enterprises allow students to practice running a business of their own and learn management skills that will help them in the future.
What do you do in DECA?
Now that we have covered what is DECA, let’s look at what DECA members actually do on a regular basis. We have already touched on one of the main activities of DECA: preparing for the various DECA competitive events that happen throughout the year.
Each DECA competition has different components and guidelines, however, almost every DECA competition involves presenting prepared materials before a judge related to a given topic or scenario. Students prepare for these competitions in teams and compete against students from other DECA chapters, getting advice from their mentors along the way.
As a DECA student, you will spend a significant amount of time preparing for these competitions. You will also likely take on a leadership role within your local chapter, whether as a chapter officer, committee member, or DECA club delegate. These leadership positions not only look great on a college or career resume, but also prepare students to take on similar roles at colleges or companies down the road. DECA student leaders also get opportunities to hone their skills at different conferences and leadership academies throughout the academic year. At their flagship conference, DECA offers emerging leadership academies, which help students leverage their skills to get college acceptances, job offers, and more.
DECA also places a high priority on community service and giving back. With the help of several corporate partners, DECA high school chapters use their skills to support local business owners and strengthen their communities. There are also several DECA scholarships available to students who are a member of a DECA high school chapter. Last year, DECA’s corporate partners gave away over $200,000 in DECA scholarship money. Many of these DECA scholarships are awarded to students who work part time in settings like grocery stores, fast food restaurants, and school based enterprises.
DECA High School Division
The DECA high school division is the largest, with membership open to students in grades 9-12. Students must join their school’s DECA club chapter or start one. Currently there are 4,252 DECA high school chapters around the world serving 294,110 students. Each chapter is slightly different, but they all follow DECA’s core mission and values.
All DECA chapters have a faculty advisor that oversees chapter activities and collects dues from the chapter’s members. However, most of the leadership roles within the chapter are taken by DECA student members. DECA also provides a series of chapter campaigns to its members, giving them ideas for activities they can do throughout the year. Whether it’s giving back to the community or educating new members about what is DECA, each chapter finds their own ways to further the organization’s mission.
While each DECA high school chapter serves the students at one high school, there are plenty of opportunities for travel to conferences, competitions, and leadership summits. These events occur throughout the year and give DECA student members a chance to interact with students from other chapters and participate in a variety of events and competitions. These conferences are often tailored to specific career interests and subspecialties, such as sports marketing, so students can attend events that are personalized to their individual interests.
Why join DECA in high school?
With so many different high school clubs out there, you want to make sure you are participating in extracurricular activities that are enriching and beneficial for your future. A DECA student who has had the benefit of mentoring and real world experience might be more likely to receive a job or internship offer. DECA also has significant name recognition, with major companies like Publix, Hilton, and Raising Cane’s all involved either with a DECA competition or DECA conference.
Most importantly, the skills you learn in a DECA club, such as teamwork, problem solving, and public speaking, will be extremely valuable in both academic and professional settings!
Collegiate DECA
Compared to the high school level, the DECA club presence at colleges is much smaller, with 207 chapters serving roughly 5,460 students. Unlike high school clubs, college DECA clubs are for students who have already graduated high school and are working toward a post-secondary degree. These might be undergraduate finance majors, MBA students, or even students pursuing a Ph. D.
Rather than focusing on DECA competition events and applying for scholarships, college aged DECA students are more focused on career readiness and networking. There is a lot of competition for internships and job offers. The training a DECA student receives can give them an edge in the interview process and help them make connections within their chosen industry.
Older DECA members also participate in advanced skills training designed to supplement the courses within their major. These include sophisticated case studies designed to help students tackle real world challenges and develop strong problem solving skills. Students can also present at DECA conferences and participate in workshops led by DECA’s corporate partners. Many DECA members are hired by companies familiar with what is DECA, because these companies know that students who participate in DECA skills training will make for strong, hardworking employees.
Can I join DECA in college, even if I wasn’t in a DECA club in high school?
Many students join a college DECA club because they are already familiar with what is DECA from being a member in high school and want to continue their professional development during their college years. However, this is not a requirement for college membership. Anyone can join a collegiate DECA chapter, regardless of whether or not they participated in DECA high school events. Students who were not familiar with what is DECA in high school can get a second chance to experience the benefits of membership by joining a collegiate chapter!
DECA competitions and events
When you think about what is DECA, the first thing that comes to mind is probably going to be DECA’s competitions.
DECA competitive events fall into three distinct categories: role-plays and case studies, prepared events, and online simulations. Some competitive events involve written tests or exams, while others involve giving presentations in front of a judge. Some examples of DECA competitions include:
Personal finance literacy tests, where students apply logic and personal finance principles to a series of decisions.
Sales challenges, where students simulate a meeting with a prospective customer and must develop a compelling sales pitch that will convince the customer to buy the product.
Marketing competitions, where teams of students work to develop a marketing campaign for an event, such as a festival, concert, or charity auction.
Each competition is scored according to a standard set of guidelines. Scoring is overseen by companies familiar with what is DECA that know how to evaluate the quality of each submission. Some competitions are virtual and others are held in person at the International Career Development Conference, also known as DECA ICDC.
Competition occurs at several levels throughout the year, culminating at the highest level of competition: DECA ICDC. Individuals or teams may start by competing at the local or district level where the competition is against other chapters in the same area. Then there are the regional and state competitions, where all the DECA chapters in a given state compete against each other.
Finally, at DECA ICDC, students are competing against chapters from around the world. Despite these competitions being a major part of what is DECA, students are not required to participate in them in order to be members. Those who wish to avoid the competition scene may prefer events like leadership conferences, learning seminars, or career development experiences.
DECA ICDC
Out of all the conferences and workshops DECA offers, the biggest event of the year is the International Career Development Conference. The conference is held in a different U.S. city each year and lasts for three days. The events at the conference perfectly encapsulate what is DECA, as there are a combination of competitions, workshops, and networking opportunities. The conference brings together DECA chapters from around the world both to compete against and learn from one another. It is not required for every DECA chapter to attend, and many members choose not to attend for financial or other reasons.
Any student who is a member of DECA is eligible to attend the DECA ICDC conference. Many students attend as part of a competition team, but others are there in a leadership capacity or as academy participants. Many club advisors also attend the conference to learn about how to improve their chapters and how to better mentor the students they oversee.
ICDC is as much about learning as it is about competition, and the program encourages a hands-on, project based approach to building skills. Rather than sitting in classrooms or passively watching presentations, students engage in conversations with mentors and work together to tackle real-world problems.
Understanding the ICDC
The conference is especially geared toward high school students, and therefore a lot of the events focus on helping students figure out their future college and career plans. For example, students might know that they want to pursue a career in finance or marketing, but are not sure what steps they need to take to get there. DECA mentors help students by listening to their career aspirations and educating them about the options available in their fields of interest. Keep in mind that DECA also maintains active partnerships with sixteen different business schools and colleges across the country, meaning that students can get help from both industry professionals and college faculty.
DECA ICDC is a unique opportunity for members to take advantage of everything DECA has to offer, including mentoring, networking, and competition. Students who attend learn valuable skills that they can then take back to their school chapters and use later in their careers. For those looking to broaden their horizons, meet new people with shared interests, and test their skills, DECA ICDC is the ideal place to do those things.
DECA scholarships and recognition
DECA scholarships total over $200,000 annually. These are merit scholarships specifically for students involved in a DECA club. High school seniors are able to apply for DECA scholarships to help pay for college expenses, including books and transportation. These DECA scholarships are sponsored by various businesses and corporations, including Marriott, NAPA, and Journeys.
To win a DECA scholarship, students must be actively involved in their DECA club and be up to date on their membership dues. They must also submit scholarship applications and complete their DECA profile. Students who are active in DECA events and recognition programs are more likely to win the DECA scholarships.
Beyond scholarships, a DECA club offers students many opportunities to gain recognition and awards. After all, if you ask, “What is DECA and why should I join?”, DECA competitive events are one of the main reasons so many students get involved. These competitions offer students the opportunity to win awards and recognition that can help boost their college applications.
Winning an award at a DECA competition signals to admissions officers that you have strong organizational and leadership skills, and that you stand out among your peers. Overall, participating in DECA can open up many opportunities for scholarships and recognition that can greatly help you in your college admissions journey.
What skills do you learn in DECA?
So, what is DECA all about? More than simply participating in competitions, DECA’s main focus is to help students learn key skills that will be beneficial to them as they enter college and their careers. Participating in a DECA club can help you cultivate the following skills:
DECA Skills
Public speaking
A DECA competition often involves standing in front of a panel of judges, typically pitching projects, defending a case study, or presenting a business plan. Students develop key public speaking skills through these competitions, as well as in their DECA high school club or class. When students ask members, “What is DECA all about?”, any DECA student will likely mention public speaking.
Business communication
DECA clubs commonly focus on building key business communication skills. Learning how to communicate within a corporate setting involves a big learning curve for many students. As such, a DECA student will have a competitive edge over other students who haven’t had such preparation. Learning business jargon, typical processes, and how businesses communicate with each other are all skills that are developed in DECA.
Problem solving
While many high school clubs help students develop the ability to solve problems, DECA is unique in helping students proactively learn this skill. For instance, a DECA competition can involve solving case studies on the fly, allowing students to experience various corporate problems that could arise in a real-world business setting.
Time management
A DECA high school club can be a great way for students to prepare for the workforce, learning the time management skills necessary to succeed. DECA encourages students to work on various projects, prepare for competitions, apply for internships, and find scholarships. Learning how to balance all of these priorities, as well as schoolwork, helps students learn how to manage and prioritize their time.
Teamwork
DECA encourages students to work collaboratively with each other, through prepping a group project, working on a group presentation, or participating in a DECA competition together. Given the collaborative nature of business, learning how to work with other people in an effective way is key.
Leadership
Students can earn leadership roles in their DECA high school club, helping steer the direction of the chapter as part of the leadership team. Even beyond formal leadership roles, students can get experience leading a project or competition, even earning awards and recognition for their contributions.
DECA helps students build these skills through experiential learning — both in and out of the classroom. Students present in front of judges, manage project deadlines, and lead initiatives. This combination of experiences allows students to build both hard and soft skills, solidifying their preparedness for whatever comes next in their academic and professional careers.
How DECA prepares you for college and career success
Out of all the high school clubs, DECA is one of the best for students interested in business as they have such a strong network and ample opportunities for leadership. What is DECA after all, if not a way to make meaningful connections? Indeed, DECA prepares students for a wide variety of professional pursuits, including consulting, advertising, and all kinds of business management roles. DECA experience directly translates to professional experience, giving students a competitive edge.
DECA competitive events, projects, and club meetings all help students cultivate the skills they will need in college and beyond. From time management and public speaking to organization and leadership skills, a DECA high school club provides an environment for students to gain tangible professional experience. If you’re interested in learning more about the DECA competitions, you can read Polygence’s DECA Competitions Guide.
Furthermore, DECA is often considered the best business high school club to join. Participating in a DECA high school club can help boost college applications, as DECA students demonstrate the types of skills admissions officers look for. What is DECA focused on? Well, DECA helps prepare students for a range of pre-professional challenges, including interviews, resume building, case competitions, and navigating professional environments. Gaining exposure to the professional world at such a young age prepares students for success in their future careers.
Joining your school’s DECA club
Joining a DECA club can open up access to scholarships, awards, and networking opportunities. What is DECA about? Well, if you’re interested in business, joining a DECA high school club is a great way to prepare for college applications and gain solid experience in the professional world.
If you’re interested in joining a DECA club, you can talk to your school’s DECA advisor, attend different interest meetings, and contact another DECA student to see if it’s for you. Keep in mind that a DECA student typically has to pay membership dues, so it’s important to learn all the relevant information before deciding to join.
What is DECA looking for in a club member? While there is no standard DECA student, most members demonstrate an interest in business and leadership. Joining DECA early on in high school can help build up your resume and expose you to more opportunities. However, it’s never too late to get involved with DECA — that includes senior year!
It can be helpful to ask yourself some questions before deciding to become a DECA student. What is the time commitment? How much are the membership dues? What events am I able to participate in? Speaking with your DECA advisor can help you determine if joining a DECA club is right for you.
How much are DECA membership dues?
As a DECA student, you’ll have to pay membership dues. Membership dues are fees that DECA members must pay to be considered a part of the organization. For DECA high school students, the national DECA membership dues are $8. For collegiate DECA members, the dues are $10. Students may have additional dues for their state and local DECA chapters.
What is DECA membership? By paying the DECA membership dues, you’ll gain access to the national organization and its resources. Only members are able to participate in DECA competitive events, including DECA ICDC. For students who may need assistance covering the DECA membership fees, fundraising is an option. You can discuss your options with your DECA advisor.
While official DECA dues aren’t all that costly, it’s important to note that these do not cover participation in DECA competitions. Attending events usually means covering your own travel and hotel expenses—and for DECA ICDC, that can include pricey flights. Be realistic and upfront when talking with your family and DECA advisor to avoid being caught off guard by any unexpected costs.
Starting a DECA chapter
If your school does not currently offer a DECA high school club, you may consider starting a DECA chapter. Taking the initiative to start a DECA chapter can be a major boost to your college resume, and can provide you with some great experience leading a student organization.
What is a DECA chapter? A DECA chapter requires students to formally register with the national DECA organization. To register officially with DECA, you’ll have to take these steps:
Steps to Start a DECA Chapter
1. Find a DECA advisor.
You’ll need to find a teacher or staff member at your high school to serve as your DECA advisor. This can be a large time commitment, so be sure to collect information before asking.
2. Recruit DECA members.
You’ll need at least 10 other students in order to start a DECA chapter. You can host interest meetings, talk with other students interested in business, and work with your DECA advisor on recruiting members.
3. Confirm your chapter meets the charter requirements.
In addition to meeting the national chapter requirements, you’ll have to ensure that you meet your local charter requirements as well. Charters are organized by geographical location. You can find your specific charter here: Chartered Associations – DECA
4. Submit the DECA application.
Once you have your DECA advisor, at least ten chapter members, and confirm that your chapter is meeting your charter’s requirements, you’ll have to submit a formal DECA application. What is DECA’s application process? The DECA application process is an online application, where you’ll report crucial information about your chapter to the DECA national office.
You should understand what is DECA before starting a chapter. But, in many ways, starting a DECA chapter requires many of the skills that DECA helps to develop: leadership, communication, and time management. You’ll have to speak with many different people and organizations to get your chapter off the ground. However, starting a DECA chapter can be an incredibly rewarding learning experience.
For more information, be sure to consult DECA’s resources for starting a chapter directly.
5 Benefits of Joining DECA
Becoming a DECA student provides many different benefits, and starting early can help develop key skills for college and beyond. What is DECA beneficial for? We’ve outlined the top 5 benefits of joining DECA here:
5 DECA Benefits
1. Develop real-world business and leadership skills.
Participating in DECA competition events and conferences, managing school-based projects, and getting involved in fundraising efforts all prepare students for their long-term careers. DECA offers students the opportunity to work alongside top companies, network with industry professionals, and build up their work portfolio early. These opportunities help students develop crucial business and leadership skills that will help them succeed.
2. Gain access to local and international competitions.
A DECA competition is a great place for students to network and compete for various awards. Attending a DECA competition gives students a taste of various industries, as well as experience presenting in front of a panel of judges on different topics. By competing in a local DECA competition, students could qualify for DECA nationals, where they’d compete with students across the country.
3. Become eligible for certain scholarships and academic recognition.
What is DECA known for? Well, apart from gaining some business savvy, DECA can open up opportunities for scholarship money, as well as academic recognition. You might even opt to participate in collegiate DECA, expanding your knowledge and skillset. Additionally, DECA offers many corporate-sponsored scholarships for high school seniors. For some students, DECA awards and recognition help boost their college applications.
4. Get a competitive edge in college and career planning.
With its focus on business leadership, DECA provides students with a strong foundation for college applications and overall career planning. Getting hands-on experience with various aspects of business can help craft your college application narrative, particularly when you can speak to specific experiences and knowledge. Competing at DECA nationals, or local competitive events, can also help boost your application. If you’re interested in a career in finance, marketing, business, or communications, joining DECA can give you a great competitive advantage.
5. Be a part of a community of like-minded, motivated peers.
What is DECA all about? DECA is about connecting students with similar interests and providing them opportunities to grow and develop key business skills. With over 200,000 high school members, DECA students often make life-long connections and friendships, building their network at a young age. Collaborating with like-minded peers can open up many different opportunities down the road — after all, it’s all about who you know!
Is DECA right for me?
As you consider joining DECA, you may wonder if DECA is the best place for you as a high school student. DECA can be a great place to develop business skills, network with other students, and gain real world experience. However, it can also be a major time commitment. How do you know if it’s right for you?
You can start by asking yourself some questions: do you enjoy problem solving and working with others? Are you interested in a career in business, marketing, or leadership? Do you want to improve your public speaking or leadership skills? What is DECA going to improve on your resume that’s not already present?
Additionally, consider exploring the career clusters detailed on DECA’s website to see if they interest you. For example, the entrepreneurship career cluster has resources on different career pathways for entrepreneurs, classes run by DECA’s Comprehensive Learning Program, and competitions you can participate in. Reading through the different career clusters can give you an idea of what DECA’s focus is so you can see if it aligns with your interests and goals.
Rest assured that DECA is for everyone. Joining DECA exposes you to different career paths, helps you hone your skills, and can even help you decide what career is a good fit for you — even if it ends up not being business!
If you’re still on the fence, it can be helpful to research different business career paths to see if DECA is a good fit. CollegeAdvisor has several resources for you to read through. For example, you can read more about the 25 Best Business Major Jobs, as well as the top 10 Careers for Finance Majors. You can also watch our webinar on Business, Finance and Marketing.
What is DECA? – Final Takeaways
So, what is DECA? To review, DECA is a global non-profit dedicated to helping students who are interested in careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. DECA allows students to gain hands-on professional experience and earn recognition for their achievements. DECA also provides an environment where students can explore different aspects of business, helping them narrow in on potential future career paths.
But, what is DECA known for? DECA hosts many different competitions and events for its members, and encourages students to develop key business skills, such as public speaking, leadership and organization. Participating in DECA is a great way to boost your college application and gain unique experiences. With its national and global reach, DECA students can go far and achieve great things!
As you consider DECA and other extracurricular activities, keep in mind that CollegeAdvisor is here to help! We provide guidance on your extracurricular activities, help with resume building, and support on completing college applications. Be sure to utilize our free resources, and consider joining our one-on-one college advising program for more individualized guidance.
This article was written by Alex Baggott-Rowe and Jessica Klein. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.
