Branch director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a branch director. Branch directors usually study nursing, business, or psychology. 58% of branch directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,606 real branch director resumes to see exactly what branch director education sections show.

The most common colleges for branch directors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online branch director courses to help get the education required to be a branch director.

There are certain branch director certifications that you should consider. These branch director certifications include Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).

What education do you need to become a branch director?

What degree do you need to be a branch director?

The most common degree for branch directors is bachelor's degree, with 58% of branch directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 16%.

Bachelor's, 58%

Associate, 19%

Master's, 16%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a branch director?

You should major in nursing to become a branch director. 30% of branch directors major in nursing. Other common majors for a branch director include business and psychology.

Nursing, 30%

Business, 22%

Psychology, 5%

Management, 5%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for branch directors

Branch directors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Mississippi State University, and Mississippi College. Here are the most common colleges for branch directors in the US based on their resumes.

Branch director common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	11.92%
Mississippi State University	6.62%
Mississippi College	5.96%
Jackson State University	5.96%
University of Maryland - College Park	5.30%

Show more common branch director colleges

Best majors for branch directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Nursing	29.8%
2	Business	22.5%
3	Psychology	5.4%
4	Management	4.5%
5	Criminal Justice	3.1%

Show more common branch director majors

Best colleges for branch directors

The best colleges for branch directors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

A branch 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 branch 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 branch directors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

20 best online courses for branch directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for branch directors

The most affordable schools for branch directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for branch 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 branch 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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

9. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for branch directors

The hardest universities for branch directors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for branch 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 branch 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

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for branch directors

The easiest schools for branch directors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a branch 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 branch directors.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average branch director salary by education level

According to our data, branch directors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $100,598 annually. Branch directors with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $96,175.

Branch director education level	Branch director salary
Master's Degree	$100,598
High School Diploma or Less	$65,948
Bachelor's Degree	$84,148
Doctorate Degree	$96,175
Some College/ Associate Degree	$68,389

Branch director education FAQs

What is the best college for Branch Directors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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