Computing services director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a computing services director. Computing services directors usually study computer science, business, or computer information systems. 56% of computing services directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 366 real computing services director resumes to see exactly what computing services director education sections show.

The most common colleges for computing services directors are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

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

What education do you need to become a computing services director?

What degree do you need to be a computing services director?

The most common degree for computing services directors is bachelor's degree, with 56% of computing services directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 23% and master's degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 56%

Master's, 23%

Associate, 13%

Doctorate, 5%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a computing services director?

You should major in computer science to become a computing services director. 19% of computing services directors major in computer science. Other common majors for a computing services director include business and computer information systems.

Computer Science, 19%

Business, 18%

Computer Information Systems, 8%

Electrical Engineering, 7%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for computing services directors

Computing services directors often get their degrees at Purdue University, University of Phoenix, and University of Colorado at Boulder. Here are the most common colleges for computing services directors in the US based on their resumes.

Computing services director common college	Percentages
Purdue University	11.11%
University of Phoenix	9.26%
University of Colorado at Boulder	7.41%
University of Kentucky	5.56%
New York University	5.56%

Show more common computing services director colleges

Best majors for computing services directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	19.2%
2	Business	17.7%
3	Computer Information Systems	7.9%
4	Electrical Engineering	6.9%
5	Information Systems	5.4%

Show more common computing services director majors

Best colleges for computing services directors

The best colleges for computing services directors are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

A computing services 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 computing services 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 computing services directors.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for computing services directors

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1. Computer Hardware and Software

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3. Cloud Computing for Beginners - Infrastructure as a Service

4.5

(2,328)

Learn the Technology, Concept and Market Use Cases of Infrastructure as a Service Model in Public Cloud Computing...

4. Cloud Computing and Amazon Web Services (AWS) Fundamentals

4.4

(735)

Examine the Key Principles of Cloud Computing including Service Models, Deployment Models, & Foundations of AWS...

5. Cloud Computing Primer: Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Explore cloud computing basics without installing anything! This course is designed for semi-technical and business learners, providing a solid foundation of cloud computing basics. Learners will build an understanding of how platform as a service (PaaS) works as well. The modules in this course cover cloud computing basics, considerations for PaaS adoption, techniques for PaaS success and growth, as well as provide an exploratory PaaS experience for learners. To allow for a truly hands-on,...

6. Computer Hardware, Operating System and Networking

4.1

(314)

For Any Graduates/Engineering/Diploma/Arts & Science/Freshers/Home Users/Individuals/Desktop Support/FM/Service Engineer...

7. Cloud Computing with AWS for Beginners

4.6

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Learn fundamentals of Cloud Computing, Amazon Web Services (AWS), its core services...

8. Computer Network Fundamentals- IT Helpdesk & Desktop Support

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9. Cloud Computing Fundamentals

4.5

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A course describing the basics of cloud computing and most of the aspects related to this topic...

10. Amazon Web Services - Web Hosting & Cloud Computing With AWS

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12. Learn Cloud Computing from Scratch

(566)

A Quick Introduction to Cloud Computing Technologies and Ecosystem...

13. Distributed Systems & Cloud Computing with Java

4.7

(2,569)

Learn Distributed Java Applications at Scale, Parallel Programming, Distributed Computing & Cloud Software Architecture...

14. Introduction to Cloud Computing on AWS for Beginners [2023]

4.5

(23,726)

Learn Cloud Computing Concepts and AWS Basics Master AWS Fundamentals and Hands-on Skills on Amazon Web Services (AWS)...

15. IT service operations and Service Desk management

4.4

(2,841)

Improve Service Desk and IT support processes and service functions. Better preparation for the professional exam...

16. CS101 Bootcamp: Introduction to Computer Science & Software

4.2

(1,036)

A Computer Science & software programming / coding bootcamp for absolute beginners. No coding background necessary...

17. Getting Started with Cloud Computing - Level 1

4.5

(1,136)

Start your Journey in the Cloud Computing Revolution - What, Why and How!...

18. Cloud Computing Sales

4.5

(657)

The Hottest Tech Market: Close more and better deals by understanding clients' business objectives + technology roadmap...

19. Service Desk Analyst Crash course for beginners.

4.2

(439)

Get Hands-On Experience for following JOB roles - Service Desk Analyst IT Help Desk Professional L1 IT Support GSD...

20. Help Desk Analyst

4.2

(346)

Boost your career with this course, pass the e-Learning course, and achieve your Help Desk Analyst certificate...

Top 10 most affordable universities for computing services directors

The most affordable schools for computing services directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for computing services 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 computing services 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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for computing services directors

The hardest universities for computing services directors to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for computing services 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 computing services 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for computing services directors

The easiest schools for computing services directors to get into are Barry University, capitol technology university, and ottawa university.

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

4. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

8. Chestnut Hill College

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,026

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Lewis-Clark State College

Lewiston, ID • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,009

Average computing services director salary by education level

According to our data, computing services directors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $159,161 annually. Computing services directors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $155,834.

Computing services director education level	Computing services director salary
Master's Degree	$155,834
Bachelor's Degree	$145,772
Doctorate Degree	$159,161
Some College/ Associate Degree	$121,036

Computing services director education FAQs

What is the best college for Computing Services Directors?

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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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