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Cruise director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a cruise director. Cruise directors usually study business, communication, or hospitality management. 74% of cruise directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 479 real cruise director resumes to see exactly what cruise director education sections show.
The most common colleges for cruise directors are the Niagara University and the Niagara University.
There are also many online cruise director courses to help get the education required to be a cruise director.
What education do you need to become a cruise director?
What degree do you need to be a cruise director?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a cruise director?
- Business, 18%
- Communication, 13%
- Theatre, 7%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for cruise directors
| Cruise director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Niagara University | 10.91% |
| Florida Southern College | 7.27% |
| Western Washington University | 7.27% |
| Johnson & Wales University | 5.45% |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | 5.45% |
Best majors for cruise directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 17.6% |
| 2 | Communication | 13.3% |
| 3 | Hospitality Management | 11.9% |
| 4 | Theatre | 7.1% |
| 5 | Marketing | 5.2% |
Best colleges for cruise directors
The best colleges for cruise directors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
A cruise 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 cruise 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 cruise directors.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
7. SUNY College at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,369
Enrollment
5,229
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for cruise directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for cruise directors
The most affordable schools for cruise directors are USF Sarasota-Manatee, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for cruise 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 cruise 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. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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 State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for cruise directors
The hardest universities for cruise directors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for cruise 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 cruise 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for cruise directors
The easiest schools for cruise 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 cruise 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 cruise 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 cruise director salary by education level
| Cruise director education level | Cruise director salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $45,572 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,569 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $52,855 |
Cruise director education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025