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Debate director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a debate director. Debate directors usually study communication, political science, or philosophy. 71% of debate directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 77 real debate director resumes to see exactly what debate director education sections show.
The most common colleges for debate directors are the Marquette University and the Marquette University.
There are also many online debate director courses to help get the education required to be a debate director.
What education do you need to become a debate director?
What degree do you need to be a debate director?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 14%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a debate director?
- Communication, 23%
- Political Science, 20%
- Philosophy, 7%
- Education, 7%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for debate directors
| Debate director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Marquette University | 8.70% |
| Wayne State University | 8.70% |
| Portland State University | 8.70% |
| Washburn University of Topeka | 4.35% |
| New York University | 4.35% |
Best majors for debate directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 22.7% |
| 2 | Political Science | 20.5% |
| 3 | Philosophy | 6.8% |
| 4 | Education | 6.8% |
| 5 | Law | 6.8% |
Best colleges for debate directors
The best colleges for debate directors are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.
A debate 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 debate 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 debate directors.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
10. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
20 best online courses for debate directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for debate directors
The most affordable schools for debate directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for debate 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 debate 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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for debate directors
The hardest universities for debate directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for debate 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 debate 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Tulane University
New Orleans, LA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,428
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for debate directors
The easiest schools for debate directors to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and grand view university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a debate 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 debate directors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average debate director salary by education level
| Debate director education level | Debate director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $45,794 |
| Doctorate Degree | $62,791 |
Debate director education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025