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Academic affairs director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an academic affairs director. Academic affairs directors usually study business, educational leadership, or communication. 52% of academic affairs directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 284 real academic affairs director resumes to see exactly what academic affairs director education sections show.
The most common colleges for academic affairs directors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online academic affairs director courses to help get the education required to be an academic affairs director.
What education do you need to become an academic affairs director?
What degree do you need to be an academic affairs director?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Master's, 25%
- Doctorate, 13%
- Associate, 9%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become an academic affairs director?
- Business, 18%
- Communication, 7%
- Psychology, 6%
- Other Majors, 61%
Most common colleges for academic affairs directors
| Academic affairs director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 16.67% |
| Arizona State University | 6.25% |
| University of New Mexico | 6.25% |
| Syracuse University | 4.17% |
| University of Northern Colorado | 4.17% |
Best majors for academic affairs directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 17.7% |
| 2 | Educational Leadership | 8.2% |
| 3 | Communication | 7.0% |
| 4 | Psychology | 6.3% |
| 5 | Political Science | 6.3% |
Best colleges for academic affairs directors
The best colleges for academic affairs directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
An academic affairs director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for academic affairs directors. 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 academic affairs directors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for academic affairs directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for academic affairs directors
The most affordable schools for academic affairs directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for academic affairs directors 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 academic affairs directors.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
8. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for academic affairs directors
The hardest universities for academic affairs directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for academic affairs directors 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 academic affairs directors 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for academic affairs directors
The easiest schools for academic affairs directors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an academic affairs director 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 academic affairs directors.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average academic affairs director salary by education level
| Academic affairs director education level | Academic affairs director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $133,613 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $110,347 |
| Doctorate Degree | $152,921 |
Academic affairs director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025