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Assistant director of residence life education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an assistant director of residence life. Assistant directors of residence life usually study psychology, business, or school counseling. 61% of assistant directors of residence life hold a bachelor's degree, and 34% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 283 real assistant director of residence life resumes to see exactly what assistant director of residence life education sections show.
The most common colleges for assistant directors of residence life are the Canisius College and the Canisius College.
There are also many online assistant director of residence life courses to help get the education required to be an assistant director of residence life.
What education do you need to become an assistant director of residence life?
What degree do you need to be an assistant director of residence life?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 34%
- Associate, 3%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become an assistant director of residence life?
- Psychology, 12%
- Business, 11%
- School Counseling, 10%
- Other Majors, 57%
Most common colleges for assistant directors of residence life
| Assistant director of residence life common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Canisius College | 8.16% |
| Vanderbilt University | 6.12% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 6.12% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 6.12% |
| Truman State University | 6.12% |
Best majors for assistant directors of residence life
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 12.0% |
| 2 | Business | 11.4% |
| 3 | School Counseling | 9.8% |
| 4 | Educational Leadership | 9.8% |
| 5 | Education | 7.1% |
Best colleges for assistant directors of residence life
The best colleges for assistant directors of residence life are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
An assistant director of residence life with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for assistant directors of residence life. 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 assistant directors of residence life.
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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for assistant directors of residence life
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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant directors of residence life
The most affordable schools for assistant directors of residence life are California State University - Long Beach, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for assistant directors of residence life 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 assistant directors of residence life.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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 assistant directors of residence life
The hardest universities for assistant directors of residence life to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for assistant directors of residence life 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 assistant directors of residence life 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant directors of residence life
The easiest schools for assistant directors of residence life to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, gwynedd mercy university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant director of residence life 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 assistant directors of residence life.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average assistant director of residence life salary by education level
| Assistant director of residence life education level | Assistant director of residence life salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $65,096 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $48,013 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,201 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $48,474 |
Assistant director of residence life education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025