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Director of child welfare services education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of child welfare services. Directors of child welfare services usually study nursing, psychology, or social work. 54% of directors of child welfare services hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 327 real director of child welfare services resumes to see exactly what director of child welfare services education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of child welfare services are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

What education do you need to become a director of child welfare services?

What degree do you need to be a director of child welfare services?

The most common degree for directors of child welfare services is bachelor's degree, with 54% of directors of child welfare services earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 30% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 54%
  • Master's, 30%
  • Associate, 10%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a director of child welfare services?

You should major in nursing to become a director of child welfare services. 31% of directors of child welfare services major in nursing. Other common majors for a director of child welfare services include psychology and social work.

Most common colleges for directors of child welfare services

Directors of child welfare services often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Washington, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for directors of child welfare services in the US based on their resumes.
Director of child welfare services common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix17.65%
University of Washington5.88%
New York University5.88%
University of Louisiana at Lafayette5.88%
Indiana University South Bend5.88%

Best majors for directors of child welfare services

RankMajorPercentages
1Nursing30.6%
2Psychology15.8%
3Social Work7.7%
4Business5.0%
5Counseling Psychology4.5%

Best colleges for directors of child welfare services

The best colleges for directors of child welfare services are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A director of child welfare services 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 child welfare services. 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 child welfare services.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

20 best online courses for directors of child welfare services

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1. Child Care as a Business

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2. Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners

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5. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...

6. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes

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10. Health for All Through Primary Health Care

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This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...

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13. The Business of Health Care

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This Specialization was designed to help you keep pace with the rapidly changing world of health and health care. Through partnership with Wharton and Penn Medicine, you’ll learn from experts in business acumen, health care management, and health care policy to develop the skills you’ll need to successfully navigate the quickly evolving landscape of this fast-growing field.* By the end of this specialization, you will have a strong foundational understanding of the American health care system,...

14. Home-Based Child Care

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This series of courses is intended to provide learners with the tools to develop and operate a home-based childcare center. Stages of child development, best practices to stimulate learning, important safety measures, and business fundamentals are introduced...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of child welfare services

The most affordable schools for directors of child welfare services are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for directors of child welfare services 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 child welfare services.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of child welfare services

The hardest universities for directors of child welfare services to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for directors of child welfare services 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 child welfare services 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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 child welfare services

The easiest schools for directors of child welfare services to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of child welfare services 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 child welfare services.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average director of child welfare services salary by education level

According to our data, directors of child welfare services with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $118,204 annually. Directors of child welfare services with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $110,265.
Director of child welfare services education levelDirector of child welfare services salary
Master's Degree$110,265
Bachelor's Degree$93,058
Doctorate Degree$118,204

Director of child welfare services education FAQs

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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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