Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Associate director of development education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an associate director of development. Associate directors of development usually study business, communication, or political science. 69% of associate directors of development hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,965 real associate director of development resumes to see exactly what associate director of development education sections show.
The most common colleges for associate directors of development are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online associate director of development courses to help get the education required to be an associate director of development.
There are certain associate director of development certifications that you should consider. These associate director of development certifications include Certified Manager Certification (CM) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become an associate director of development?
What degree do you need to be an associate director of development?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 22%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an associate director of development?
- Business, 22%
- Communication, 11%
- Biology, 6%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for associate directors of development
| Associate director of development common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 7.59% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.25% |
| Boston University | 6.25% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 5.80% |
| Northeastern University | 5.80% |
Best majors for associate directors of development
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 22.0% |
| 2 | Communication | 10.5% |
| 3 | Political Science | 8.0% |
| 4 | Biology | 6.2% |
| 5 | English | 5.8% |
Best colleges for associate directors of development
The best colleges for associate directors of development are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
An associate director of development 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 directors of development. 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 directors of development.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Maine Maritime Academy
Castine, ME • Private
In-state tuition
$13,478
Enrollment
979
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
20 best online courses for associate directors of development
Advertising disclosure
1. Tencent Cloud Developer Associate
This course equips learners with a foundational knowledge in cloud application development and prepares them to take the Tencent Cloud Developer Associate examination. After completing this course, learners will be able to reconstruct and migrate traditional applications to the cloud and design and develop cloud native applications and distributed microservices using Tencent Cloud...
2. AWS Certified Developer Associate Practice Exams
Be an AWS Certified Developer! Covers AWS Certified Developer topics to pass the AWS Certified Developer Associate exam!...
3. Business Strategy Development: The Art of Differentiation
Learn 3 key business strategy tools. Improve your business innovation skills and drive profitable business development...
4. AWS Certified Developer Associate Practice Exam Questions
DVA-C02 AWS Certified Developer Associate 6 Practice Tests 390 Practice Questions Cheat Sheets updated in 2023...
5. The Leadership Masterclass - Leadership Skill Development
Leadership Development Leadership Models Leadership Principles Team Leadership Strategic Leadership Motivation...
6. AWS Certified Developer Associate - AWS Certification
AWS Certified Developer Associate - AWS Certification. Achieve the AWS Developer Certification in in28minutes way!...
7. AWS Certified Developer Associate - EXAM REVIEW - 2021
AWS Certified Developer Associate - 6 HOUR Crash Course for the AWS Certification Exam...
8. Business Mind - Mastering Business Development
Master in Practice the Product, Sales and Marketing Perspective of Business Development...
9. AWS Certified Developer Associate Exam Training DVA-C02
Ace your AWS Certified Developer Exam with this AWS Developer Course Fully Updated for DVA-C02 Bonus Practice Test...
10. Basics of Database Design & Development
Understand basics of database design & development through step by step procedure...
11. MySQL Database Development Mastery
Learn fundamental Database Development techniques with My SQL Server and My SQL Workbench...
12. Practice Exams AWS Certified Developer Associate 2023
390 Test Quiz Questions on DVA-C02 ! Practice the AWS Certified Developer Exam & ace the AWS Certified Developer Exam!...
13. Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
Certified Associate in Project Management Exam Preparatory Course...
14. Strategic Planning Skills
Strategic Planning Skills...
15. Scrum Developer
Agile software development...
16. Crash Course on Leadership Skills Development + Negotiation
Learn the Foundations of Leadership Skills Development and Inspire Others + FREE Foundations of Negotiation Course...
17. Chief Financial Officer Leadership Program
An ever expanding program of courses helping financial professionals aspire to the top levels of financial leadership...
18. Android Development: Android App Development From Scratch
Learn java, android, android studio, android development and android app development with Android 11, become a developer...
19. Databricks Certified Associate Developer - Apache Spark 2022
A Step by Step Hands-on Guide to prepare for Databricks Certified Associate Developer for Apache Spark using Pyspark...
20. Business Development For Startups and Tech Companies
Unlock massive growth using the business development channel. Learn pitching, BD strategy, cold emailing, & deal closing...
Top 10 most affordable universities for associate directors of development
The most affordable schools for associate directors of development are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for associate directors of development 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 directors of development.
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Cost of attendance
22,990
10. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for associate directors of development
The hardest universities for associate directors of development to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for associate directors of development 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 directors of development 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for associate directors of development
The easiest schools for associate directors of development to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an associate director of development 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 directors of development.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
8. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
9. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
10. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
Average associate director of development salary by education level
| Associate director of development education level | Associate director of development salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $126,535 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $111,874 |
Associate director of development education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for associate director of development jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025