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Conference director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a conference director. Conference directors usually study business, communication, or political science. 78% of conference directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 679 real conference director resumes to see exactly what conference director education sections show.
The most common colleges for conference directors are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online conference director courses to help get the education required to be a conference director.
What education do you need to become a conference director?
What degree do you need to be a conference director?
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a conference director?
- Business, 19%
- Communication, 12%
- Political Science, 10%
- Psychology, 9%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for conference directors
| Conference director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 10.11% |
| George Washington University, The | 7.87% |
| Syracuse University | 5.62% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 5.62% |
| Boston University | 5.62% |
Best majors for conference directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 19.3% |
| 2 | Communication | 12.2% |
| 3 | Political Science | 10.4% |
| 4 | Psychology | 8.6% |
| 5 | English | 7.1% |
Best colleges for conference directors
The best colleges for conference directors are Stanford University, Cornell University, and Northwestern University.
A conference 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 conference 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 conference directors.
1. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
2. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
3. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
4. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. University of Akron
Akron, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,463
Enrollment
13,676
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
20 best online courses for conference directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for conference directors
The most affordable schools for conference directors are USF Sarasota-Manatee, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for conference 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 conference directors.
1. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for conference directors
The hardest universities for conference directors to get into are Stanford University, Cornell University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for conference 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 conference 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for conference directors
The easiest schools for conference directors to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a conference 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 conference directors.
1. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
9. Cleary University
Howell, MI • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,039
10. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
Average conference director salary by education level
| Conference director education level | Conference director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $64,898 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $55,986 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $64,823 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $59,742 |
Conference director education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025