Post job

Assistant to athletic director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an assistant to athletic director. Assistant to athletic directors usually study kinesiology, business, or psychology. 73% of assistant to athletic directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,073 real assistant to athletic director resumes to see exactly what assistant to athletic director education sections show.

The most common colleges for assistant to athletic directors are the University of South Carolina - Columbia and the University of South Carolina - Columbia.

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

What education do you need to become an assistant to athletic director?

What degree do you need to be an assistant to athletic director?

The most common degree for assistant to athletic directors is bachelor's degree, with 73% of assistant to athletic directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an assistant to athletic director?

You should major in kinesiology to become an assistant to athletic director. 25% of assistant to athletic directors major in kinesiology. Other common majors for an assistant to athletic director include business and psychology.

Most common colleges for assistant to athletic directors

Assistant to athletic directors often get their degrees at University of South Carolina - Columbia, Western Michigan University, and Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Here are the most common colleges for assistant to athletic directors in the US based on their resumes.
Assistant to athletic director common collegePercentages
University of South Carolina - Columbia7.32%
Western Michigan University7.32%
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania6.10%
Pennsylvania State University6.10%
University of Massachusetts Amherst6.10%

Best majors for assistant to athletic directors

RankMajorPercentages
1Kinesiology25.2%
2Business22.2%
3Psychology5.7%
4Communication5.2%
5Management4.5%

Best colleges for assistant to athletic directors

The best colleges for assistant to athletic directors are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

An assistant to athletic 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 assistant to athletic 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 assistant to athletic directors.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

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. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. SUNY College at Cortland

Cortland, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,536

Enrollment

6,325

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for assistant to athletic directors

Advertising disclosure

1. Football: More than a Game

coursera

Explore the world of football (soccer), the money, the rivalries, the trends, the past, the present, the men’s game, the women's game and the real issues. Whether you love it, hate it or try to ignore it – join us as we go behind the scenes to examine why football is more than just a game. From street soccer to multi-million dollar transfers, from the men’s game to the women’s, from the global to the local, from the beaches of Brazil to the fight against poverty this online course looks beyond...

2. Welcome To Game Design - Introduction to Game Design Theory

udemy
4.1
(314)

Digital, Board Games and Gamification: find your ideal Game Role in the Game Industry while learning about all areas...

3. Unity Game Development: Make Professional 3D Games

udemy
4.4
(1,230)

Learn To Code In C# And How To Create Stunning 3D Games In Unity Game Engine...

4. Unity Android Game Development: Build 10 2D & 3D Games

udemy
4.3
(1,679)

Unity Game Development & Design, Learn Unity Android Game Development with C# & Unity ( Updated Unity 2023 )...

5. Unity C# Mobile Game Development: Make 3 Games From Scratch

udemy
4.5
(1,760)

Make and publish mobile games & apps for Android Play Store & i OS App Store using Unity and C#...

6. Roblox Lua Game Development For Beginners: Make Roblox Games

udemy
4.4
(529)

Roblox Lua Game Development Course For Beginners, Learn how to make your own Roblox Games! For aspiring Roblox Game Devs...

7. Unity Game Development: Create 2D And 3D Games With C#

udemy
4.6
(1,409)

Master The Fundamentals Of Game Development And Learn How To Create 2D And 3D Games With Unity Game Engine...

8. Unreal Engine: Intro to Game Design

udemy
4.5
(840)

Like Fortnite? Master the tools used to build it as we build a simple shooting gallery game using the Unreal Engine!...

9. All About Gaming Industry Careers & Game Design Fundamentals

udemy
4.6
(605)

2 courses in 1. Explore Career Paths in the Gaming Industry and the Fundamentals of Game Design...

10. Game Writing: Storytelling through Video Game Design

udemy
4
(1,143)

Write and design your own games; develop ideas, character and plot to create a compelling storyworld. (Made with Unity)...

11. Intro to Game Development using Unity - Part I

udemy
4.2
(871)

A 2D game will be developed from scratch - perfect beginning course for middle and high school age students!...

12. The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Optimisation

udemy
4.8
(365)

Learn to Squeeze Every Frame of Performance out of Your Unity Game Development Projects...

13. How to Make Tile Based Platform Games in Gamemaker

udemy
4.6
(1,273)

Learn the basics to build fun and creative platform games, including tricks to add polished and professional features...

14. Start to finish - Creating a complete game using Unity3D

udemy
4.5
(336)

Start to finish - build a complete game using Unity and C# and learn to think like a game programmer...

15. JavaScript Game Development: Create Your Own Breakout Game

udemy
4.2
(1,046)

Take your Java Script learning experience to the next level and start building interactive games...

16. Pixel Art Fundamentals: Introduction to 2D Game Pixel Art

udemy
4.5
(637)

Make 2D Art for Video Games Using Libresprite / Aseprite. Create icons, images, HUD, simple animations and game scenes...

17. Godot Beginner Course - Learn How To Make Games

udemy
4.8
(337)

Learn and master the fundamentals of the Godot Engine. Code your first game and start you game development journey!...

18. Learn 2D Game Special Effect Animation in Photoshop

udemy
4.5
(448)

The best Game special effects animation course on the market...

19. Unity Game Development Build 2D & 3D Games

udemy
4.5
(5,406)

Learn Unity game design & 2D & 3D game development & make your own C# games in Unity 3D...

20. Epic Construct 2 Course: Complete 60 Beginner Games!

udemy
4.2
(364)

Learn to build 60 games in Construct 2 without programming. Learn the secrets behind top selling mobile games...

Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant to athletic directors

The most affordable schools for assistant to athletic directors are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for assistant to athletic 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 assistant to athletic 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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant to athletic directors

The hardest universities for assistant to athletic directors to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for assistant to athletic 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 assistant to athletic 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

8. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,307

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

10. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant to athletic directors

The easiest schools for assistant to athletic directors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, wayland baptist university, and holy names university.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

7. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average assistant to athletic director salary by education level

According to our data, assistant to athletic directors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $98,685 annually. Assistant to athletic directors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $92,554.
Assistant to athletic director education levelAssistant to athletic director salary
Master's Degree$98,685
High School Diploma or Less$73,563
Bachelor's Degree$92,554
Some College/ Associate Degree$85,152

Assistant to athletic director education FAQs

Search for assistant to athletic director jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

Browse personal care and attendants jobs