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Band director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a band director. Band directors usually study general education, specific areas, music, or education. 75% of band directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,150 real band director resumes to see exactly what band director education sections show.
The most common colleges for band directors are the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas.
There are also many online band director courses to help get the education required to be a band director.
What education do you need to become a band director?
What degree do you need to be a band director?
- Bachelor's, 75%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 3%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a band director?
Most common colleges for band directors
| Band director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of North Texas | 7.32% |
| Florida State University | 6.40% |
| Berklee College of Music | 6.10% |
| Stephen F Austin State University | 6.10% |
| Troy University | 5.79% |
Best majors for band directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Education, Specific Areas | 36.9% |
| 2 | Music | 32.6% |
| 3 | Education | 16.1% |
| 4 | Music Performance | 2.8% |
| 5 | Business | 1.9% |
Best colleges for band directors
The best colleges for band directors are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.
A band 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 band 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 band directors.
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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
20 best online courses for band directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for band directors
The most affordable schools for band directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for band 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 band directors.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for band directors
The hardest universities for band directors to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for band 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 band 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for band directors
The easiest schools for band directors to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a band 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 band directors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average band director salary by education level
| Band director education level | Band director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $54,507 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,312 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $70,206 |
Band director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025