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Director of continuous improvement education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of continuous improvement. Directors of continuous improvement usually study business, nursing, or industrial engineering. 63% of directors of continuous improvement hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,559 real director of continuous improvement resumes to see exactly what director of continuous improvement education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of continuous improvement are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

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

There are certain director of continuous improvement certifications that you should consider. These director of continuous improvement certifications include Six Sigma Black Belt and Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ).

What education do you need to become a director of continuous improvement?

What degree do you need to be a director of continuous improvement?

The most common degree for directors of continuous improvement is bachelor's degree, with 63% of directors of continuous improvement earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 24% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Master's, 24%
  • Associate, 8%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a director of continuous improvement?

You should major in business to become a director of continuous improvement. 30% of directors of continuous improvement major in business. Other common majors for a director of continuous improvement include nursing and industrial engineering.

Most common colleges for directors of continuous improvement

Directors of continuous improvement often get their degrees at Purdue University, University of Phoenix, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for directors of continuous improvement in the US based on their resumes.
Director of continuous improvement common collegePercentages
Purdue University11.56%
University of Phoenix10.55%
Pennsylvania State University8.04%
University of South Florida5.53%
Ohio State University5.53%

Best majors for directors of continuous improvement

RankMajorPercentages
1Business30.2%
2Nursing11.4%
3Industrial Engineering6.7%
4Mechanical Engineering6.5%
5Accounting5.6%

Best colleges for directors of continuous improvement

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

A director of continuous improvement 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 continuous improvement. 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 continuous improvement.

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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

20 best online courses for directors of continuous improvement

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16. Coaching Managers & Leaders for Continuous Improvement

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19. Six Sigma Green Belt Training and Certification

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of continuous improvement

The most affordable schools for directors of continuous improvement are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for directors of continuous improvement 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 continuous improvement.

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

9. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of continuous improvement

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

Some great schools for directors of continuous improvement 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 continuous improvement 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of continuous improvement

The easiest schools for directors of continuous improvement to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average director of continuous improvement salary by education level

Directors of continuous improvement with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $152,283 annually. With a Doctorate degree, directors of continuous improvement earn a median annual income of $147,547 compared to $134,329 for directors of continuous improvement with an Bachelor's degree.
Director of continuous improvement education levelDirector of continuous improvement salary
Master's Degree$152,283
High School Diploma or Less$113,190
Bachelor's Degree$134,329
Doctorate Degree$147,547
Some College/ Associate Degree$116,118

Director of continuous improvement 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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