Director of events education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of events. Directors of events usually study business, communication, or marketing. 77% of directors of events hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 6,175 real director of events resumes to see exactly what director of events education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of events are the Florida State University and the Florida State University.

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

There are certain director of events certifications that you should consider. These director of events certifications include Certified Planning Engineer (CPE) and Certified Wedding and Event Planner (CWP).

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

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

The most common degree for directors of events is bachelor's degree, with 77% of directors of events earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 10% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 77%

Associate, 10%

Master's, 8%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

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

You should major in business to become a director of events. 20% of directors of events major in business. Other common majors for a director of events include communication and marketing.

Business, 20%

Communication, 14%

Marketing, 9%

Hospitality Management, 7%

Other Majors, 50%

Most common colleges for directors of events

Directors of events often get their degrees at Florida State University, New York University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for directors of events in the US based on their resumes.

Director of events common college	Percentages
Florida State University	7.30%
New York University	7.12%
University of Maryland - College Park	6.23%
University of Phoenix	5.69%
University of California, Santa Barbara	5.52%

Show more common director of events colleges

Best majors for directors of events

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	19.9%
2	Communication	14.4%
3	Marketing	8.6%
4	Hospitality Management	7.5%
5	Psychology	5.2%

Show more common director of events majors

Best colleges for directors of events

The best colleges for directors of events are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Cornell University.

A director of events 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 events. 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 events.

1. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

2. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

6. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for directors of events

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3. How to Throw Events and Attract Corporate Sponsors

4.8

(334)

48 Industry Secrets that Make You More Money and Get More People to Your Events...

4. Successful Events: Event Planning, Marketing & Management

4.7

(2,141)

Create a single successful event or event-series with effective event promotion, planning, management, and monetization...

5. The Business of Product Management II

Sponsored by AMAZON WEB SERVICES (AWS). Learn real-world product management lessons from Amazon, Tesla, Uber, WeWork, Zoom, the United States Armed Forces, Facebook, Google, Alphabet, Poshmark, Slack, Twitter, Headspace, Walmart Labs, Humana, Schwab, Allianz, Amex, Grohe, Amazon, Costco, Progressive, Activision, Yelp, H&M, Basecamp, Microsoft, and more! Featuring: * NANCY WANG, Head of Data Protection Services, Amazon Web Services; Founder and CEO, Advancing Women in Product * VERONICA PINCHIN,...

6. Event Management for Beginners

4.5

(1,125)

Learn the process for creating great events...

7. The Ultimate Guide to Professional Event Planning Management

4.4

(402)

Learn techniques to become an amazing event planner. You'll get all the skills you need for event management & planning...

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Learn how to create microservices in C# that are based on CQRS and Event Sourcing. Powered by .NET and Apache Kafka...

13. Selling Sponsorships for Meetings, Events & Nonprofits

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14. A Guide to Security Information and Event Management - SIEM

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Gain hands-on Tool insights using Splunk Enterprise & Fortinet Forti SIEM...

15. Master Spring Boot Microservices with CQRS & Event Sourcing

4.2

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Learn how to create Spring Boot microservices that are based on the CQRS & Event Sourcing. Powered by Java and Axon...

16. Event Driven Architecture - The Complete Guide

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17. VPs and Directors of Product Management: Finding Excellence

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18. Best of Facebook Ads: Facebook Ads 2023 Ultimate Pro Edition

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19. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service

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20. Ultimate Facebook Marketing Course 2019 - Step by Step A-Z

4.3

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of events

The most affordable schools for directors of events are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for directors of events 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 events.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of events

The hardest universities for directors of events to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Cornell University.

Some great schools for directors of events 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 events 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

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

The easiest schools for directors of events to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average director of events salary by education level

Directors of events with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $66,595 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, directors of events earn a median annual income of $66,501 compared to $60,126 for directors of events with an Associate degree.

Director of events education level	Director of events salary
Master's Degree	$66,595
High School Diploma or Less	$55,495
Bachelor's Degree	$66,501
Some College/ Associate Degree	$60,126

Director of events education FAQs

What is the best college for Directors Of Events?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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