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Assistant stage manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an assistant stage manager. Assistant stage managers usually study theatre, communication, or music. 73% of assistant stage managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,119 real assistant stage manager resumes to see exactly what assistant stage manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for assistant stage managers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online assistant stage manager courses to help get the education required to be an assistant stage manager.
What education do you need to become an assistant stage manager?
What degree do you need to be an assistant stage manager?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an assistant stage manager?
- Theatre, 34%
- Communication, 8%
- Music, 6%
- Photography, 5%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for assistant stage managers
| Assistant stage manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 10.27% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.53% |
| University of Southern California | 6.16% |
| Full Sail University | 6.16% |
| DePaul University | 6.16% |
Best majors for assistant stage managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theatre | 34.0% |
| 2 | Communication | 7.5% |
| 3 | Music | 6.4% |
| 4 | Photography | 5.4% |
| 5 | Entertainment Business | 5.0% |
Best colleges for assistant stage managers
The best colleges for assistant stage managers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
An assistant stage manager 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 stage managers. 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 stage managers.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
20 best online courses for assistant stage managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant stage managers
The most affordable schools for assistant stage managers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for assistant stage managers 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 stage managers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant stage managers
The hardest universities for assistant stage managers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for assistant stage managers 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 stage managers 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
6. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
14%
SAT average
1,531
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Tulane University
New Orleans, LA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,428
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant stage managers
The easiest schools for assistant stage managers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant stage manager 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 stage managers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
10. Clarke University
Dubuque, IA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,058
Average assistant stage manager salary by education level
| Assistant stage manager education level | Assistant stage manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $47,411 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $43,304 |
Assistant stage manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025