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Choir director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a choir director. Choir directors usually study music, general education, specific areas, or education. 69% of choir directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,379 real choir director resumes to see exactly what choir director education sections show.
The most common colleges for choir directors are the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas.
There are also many online choir director courses to help get the education required to be a choir director.
What education do you need to become a choir director?
What degree do you need to be a choir director?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a choir director?
Most common colleges for choir directors
| Choir director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of North Texas | 7.83% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.02% |
| Western Michigan University | 6.02% |
| Ball State University | 6.02% |
| University of South Florida | 5.42% |
Best majors for choir directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music | 39.8% |
| 2 | General Education, Specific Areas | 22.5% |
| 3 | Education | 10.6% |
| 4 | Business | 4.0% |
| 5 | Elementary Education | 3.6% |
Best colleges for choir directors
The best colleges for choir directors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A choir 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 choir 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 choir directors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
20 best online courses for choir directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for choir directors
The most affordable schools for choir directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for choir 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 choir 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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
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 - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for choir directors
The hardest universities for choir directors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for choir 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 choir 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
8. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for choir directors
The easiest schools for choir directors to get into are Barry University, wayland baptist university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a choir 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 choir directors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average choir director salary by education level
| Choir director education level | Choir director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $65,075 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,131 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,331 |
Choir director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025