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Director of physical education education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of physical education. Directors of physical education usually study health education, kinesiology, or education. 71% of directors of physical education hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 798 real director of physical education resumes to see exactly what director of physical education education sections show.

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

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

There are certain director of physical education certifications that you should consider. These director of physical education certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Certified Adapted Physical Educator (CAPE).

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

What degree do you need to be a director of physical education?

The most common degree for directors of physical education is bachelor's degree, with 71% of directors of physical education earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 71%
  • Master's, 20%
  • Associate, 5%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a director of physical education?

You should major in health education to become a director of physical education. 36% of directors of physical education major in health education. Other common majors for a director of physical education include kinesiology and education.

Most common colleges for directors of physical education

Directors of physical education often get their degrees at Florida State University, Springfield College, and Southern Connecticut State University. Here are the most common colleges for directors of physical education in the US based on their resumes.
Director of physical education common collegePercentages
Florida State University10.99%
Springfield College7.69%
Southern Connecticut State University5.49%
Illinois State University5.49%
University of North Texas5.49%

Best majors for directors of physical education

RankMajorPercentages
1Health Education36.0%
2Kinesiology18.8%
3Education8.4%
4Business5.1%
5Educational Leadership3.9%

Best colleges for directors of physical education

The best colleges for directors of physical education are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.

A director of physical education 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 physical education. 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 physical education.

1. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

7. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

20 best online courses for directors of physical education

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6. Understanding Modern Physics III: Simplicity and Complexity

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10. Physics 102 - AC Circuits and Maxwell's Equations

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13. Physics 101 - Rotational Motion and Gravitation

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of physical education

The most affordable schools for directors of physical education are California State University - Long Beach, baruch college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for directors of physical education 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 physical education.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

6. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of physical education

The hardest universities for directors of physical education to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for directors of physical education 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 physical education 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of physical education

The easiest schools for directors of physical education to get into are Barry University, 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 physical education 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 physical education.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

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. 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. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average director of physical education salary by education level

According to our data, directors of physical education with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $107,341 annually. Directors of physical education with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $91,265.
Director of physical education education levelDirector of physical education salary
Master's Degree$91,265
Bachelor's Degree$72,420
Doctorate Degree$107,341

Director of physical education 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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