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Acting director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an acting director. Acting directors usually study business, theatre, or nursing. 61% of acting directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,214 real acting director resumes to see exactly what acting director education sections show.
The most common colleges for acting directors are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.
There are also many online acting director courses to help get the education required to be an acting director.
There are certain acting director certifications that you should consider. These acting director certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).
What education do you need to become an acting director?
What degree do you need to be an acting director?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 9%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become an acting director?
- Business, 18%
- Theatre, 10%
- Nursing, 10%
- Psychology, 9%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for acting directors
| Acting director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Maryland - College Park | 10.09% |
| University of Phoenix | 9.78% |
| New York University | 7.89% |
| George Washington University, The | 5.36% |
| University of California - Davis | 5.36% |
Best majors for acting directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 17.6% |
| 2 | Theatre | 10.2% |
| 3 | Nursing | 9.5% |
| 4 | Psychology | 8.7% |
| 5 | Political Science | 5.3% |
Best colleges for acting directors
The best colleges for acting directors are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University.
An acting 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 acting 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 acting directors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,700
Enrollment
29,722
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
20 best online courses for acting directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for acting directors
The most affordable schools for acting directors are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for acting 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 acting directors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for acting directors
The hardest universities for acting directors to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University.
Some great schools for acting 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 acting 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
10. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for acting directors
The easiest schools for acting directors to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an acting 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 acting directors.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
8. American International College
Springfield, MA • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
1,010
9. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
Average acting director salary by education level
| Acting director education level | Acting director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $124,672 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $108,550 |
| Doctorate Degree | $149,083 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $97,105 |
Acting director education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025