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Associate artistic director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an associate artistic director. Associate artistic directors usually study theatre, dance, or music. 78% of associate artistic directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 120 real associate artistic director resumes to see exactly what associate artistic director education sections show.
The most common colleges for associate artistic directors are the Northwestern University and the Northwestern University.
There are also many online associate artistic director courses to help get the education required to be an associate artistic director.
What education do you need to become an associate artistic director?
What degree do you need to be an associate artistic director?
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Master's, 13%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an associate artistic director?
Most common colleges for associate artistic directors
| Associate artistic director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Northwestern University | 10.71% |
| The University of the Arts | 7.14% |
| Western New England University | 7.14% |
| Bennington College | 7.14% |
| University of Nebraska - Omaha | 7.14% |
Best majors for associate artistic directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theatre | 38.1% |
| 2 | Dance | 8.3% |
| 3 | Music | 8.3% |
| 4 | Fine Arts | 7.1% |
| 5 | Communication | 4.8% |
Best colleges for associate artistic directors
The best colleges for associate artistic directors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
An associate artistic 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 associate artistic 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 associate artistic directors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for associate artistic directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for associate artistic directors
The most affordable schools for associate artistic directors are University of Florida, lehman college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for associate artistic 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 associate artistic directors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for associate artistic directors
The hardest universities for associate artistic directors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for associate artistic 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 associate artistic 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
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for associate artistic directors
The easiest schools for associate artistic directors to get into are Wayland Baptist University, notre dame de namur university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an associate artistic 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 associate artistic directors.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
Average associate artistic director salary by education level
| Associate artistic director education level | Associate artistic director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $72,149 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,783 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $69,794 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,113 |
Associate artistic director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025