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Director of admissions education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of admissions. Directors of admissions usually study business, psychology, or communication. 63% of directors of admissions hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 9,213 real director of admissions resumes to see exactly what director of admissions education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of admissions are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain director of admissions certifications that you should consider. These director of admissions certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).

What education do you need to become a director of admissions?

What degree do you need to be a director of admissions?

The most common degree for directors of admissions is bachelor's degree, with 63% of directors of admissions earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Master's, 17%
  • Associate, 12%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a director of admissions?

You should major in business to become a director of admissions. 30% of directors of admissions major in business. Other common majors for a director of admissions include psychology and communication.

Most common colleges for directors of admissions

Directors of admissions often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, American InterContinental University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for directors of admissions in the US based on their resumes.
Director of admissions common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix29.40%
American InterContinental University5.11%
Pennsylvania State University4.69%
Liberty University4.55%
Ashford University4.26%

Best majors for directors of admissions

RankMajorPercentages
1Business29.9%
2Psychology10.3%
3Communication6.7%
4Nursing6.6%
5Marketing5.6%

Best colleges for directors of admissions

The best colleges for directors of admissions are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

A director of admissions with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for directors of admissions. 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 directors of admissions.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for directors of admissions

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of admissions

The most affordable schools for directors of admissions are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for directors of admissions 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 directors of admissions.

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 - 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. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of admissions

The hardest universities for directors of admissions to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for directors of admissions 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 directors of admissions 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of admissions

The easiest schools for directors of admissions to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of admissions 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 directors of admissions.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average director of admissions salary by education level

Directors of admissions with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $67,459 annually. With a Master's degree, directors of admissions earn a median annual income of $62,891 compared to $56,942 for directors of admissions with an Bachelor's degree.
Director of admissions education levelDirector of admissions salary
Master's Degree$62,891
Bachelor's Degree$56,942
Doctorate Degree$67,459

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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