Activities director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an activities director. Activities directors usually study business, rehabilitation science, or psychology. 57% of activities directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 15,034 real activities director resumes to see exactly what activities director education sections show.

The most common colleges for activities directors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online activities director courses to help get the education required to be an activities director.

There are certain activities director certifications that you should consider. These activities director certifications include Activity Director Certified (ADC) and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

What education do you need to become an activities director?

What degree do you need to be an activities director?

The most common degree for activities directors is bachelor's degree, with 57% of activities directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 57%

Associate, 17%

High School Diploma, 11%

Master's, 8%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become an activities director?

You should major in business to become an activities director. 14% of activities directors major in business. Other common majors for an activities director include rehabilitation science and psychology.

Business, 14%

Rehabilitation Science, 10%

Psychology, 10%

Recreation Management, 6%

Other Majors, 60%

Most common colleges for activities directors

Activities directors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Western Washington University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for activities directors in the US based on their resumes.

Activities director common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	14.27%
Western Washington University	7.99%
Pennsylvania State University	5.28%
Illinois State University	5.14%
University of Iowa	4.85%

Show more common activities director colleges

Best majors for activities directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	13.9%
2	Rehabilitation Science	10.4%
3	Psychology	10.4%
4	Recreation Management	5.9%
5	Education	5.6%

Show more common activities director majors

Best colleges for activities directors

The best colleges for activities directors are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

An activities 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 activities 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 activities directors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

4. University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$7,092

Enrollment

1,216

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

20 best online courses for activities directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for activities directors

The most affordable schools for activities directors are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for activities 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 activities directors.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for activities directors

The hardest universities for activities directors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for activities 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 activities 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for activities directors

The easiest schools for activities directors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, d'youville college, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an activities 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 activities directors.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average activities director salary by education level

Activities directors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $57,317 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, activities directors earn a median annual income of $53,640 compared to $49,212 for activities directors with an Associate degree.

Activities director education level	Activities director salary
Master's Degree	$57,317
High School Diploma or Less	$42,304
Bachelor's Degree	$53,640
Some College/ Associate Degree	$49,212

Activities director education FAQs

What is the best college for Activities Directors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.

Search for activities director jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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