Director of guidance education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of guidance. Directors of guidance usually study school counseling, psychology, or education. 46% of directors of guidance hold a bachelor's degree, and 45% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 404 real director of guidance resumes to see exactly what director of guidance education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of guidance are the Ball State University and the Ball State University.

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

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

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

The most common degree for directors of guidance is bachelor's degree, with 46% of directors of guidance earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 45% and master's degree degree at 3%.

Bachelor's, 46%

Master's, 45%

Associate, 3%

Doctorate, 3%

Other Degrees, 3%

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

You should major in school counseling to become a director of guidance. 22% of directors of guidance major in school counseling. Other common majors for a director of guidance include psychology and education.

School Counseling, 22%

Psychology, 12%

Education, 11%

Educational Leadership, 8%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for directors of guidance

Directors of guidance often get their degrees at Ball State University, University of South Carolina - Columbia, and Indiana State University. Here are the most common colleges for directors of guidance in the US based on their resumes.

Director of guidance common college	Percentages
Ball State University	8.20%
University of South Carolina - Columbia	6.56%
Indiana State University	6.56%
Long Island University	6.56%
St. Bonaventure University	6.56%

Show more common director of guidance colleges

Best majors for directors of guidance

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	School Counseling	21.6%
2	Psychology	12.3%
3	Education	10.8%
4	Educational Leadership	8.2%
5	Business	7.5%

Show more common director of guidance majors

Best colleges for directors of guidance

The best colleges for directors of guidance are University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.

A director of guidance 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 guidance. 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 guidance.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

20 best online courses for directors of guidance

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of guidance

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

If the best universities for directors of guidance 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 guidance.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of guidance

The hardest universities for directors of guidance to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for directors of guidance 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 guidance 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

SAT average

1,492

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

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

The easiest schools for directors of guidance to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and gwynedd mercy university.

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

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. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

10. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

Average director of guidance salary by education level

Directors of guidance with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $91,821 annually. With a Master's degree, directors of guidance earn a median annual income of $79,770 compared to $65,348 for directors of guidance with an Bachelor's degree.

Director of guidance education level	Director of guidance salary
Master's Degree	$79,770
Bachelor's Degree	$65,348
Doctorate Degree	$91,821

Director of guidance education FAQs

What is the best college for Directors Of Guidance?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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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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