Director of preschool education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of preschool. Directors of preschool usually study early childhood education, elementary education, or education. 60% of directors of preschool hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,712 real director of preschool resumes to see exactly what director of preschool education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of preschool are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain director of preschool certifications that you should consider. These director of preschool certifications include Child Development Associate (CDA) and Certified Director of Safety (CDS).

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

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

The most common degree for directors of preschool is bachelor's degree, with 60% of directors of preschool earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 60%

Associate, 19%

Master's, 14%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 3%

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

You should major in early childhood education to become a director of preschool. 21% of directors of preschool major in early childhood education. Other common majors for a director of preschool include elementary education and education.

Early Childhood Education, 21%

Elementary Education, 13%

Education, 12%

Human Development, 12%

Other Majors, 42%

Most common colleges for directors of preschool

Directors of preschool often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Liberty University, and Ashford University. Here are the most common colleges for directors of preschool in the US based on their resumes.

Director of preschool common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	19.55%
Liberty University	6.02%
Ashford University	5.26%
University of Georgia	5.26%
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville	4.51%

Show more common director of preschool colleges

Best majors for directors of preschool

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Early Childhood Education	20.6%
2	Elementary Education	13.0%
3	Education	11.8%
4	Human Development	11.6%
5	Business	9.1%

Show more common director of preschool majors

Best colleges for directors of preschool

The best colleges for directors of preschool are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

A director of preschool 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 preschool. 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 preschool.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for directors of preschool

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of preschool

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

If the best universities for directors of preschool 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 preschool.

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

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 preschool

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

Some great schools for directors of preschool 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 preschool 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

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

The easiest schools for directors of preschool 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 preschool 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 preschool.

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. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

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. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average director of preschool salary by education level

Directors of preschool with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $53,523 annually. With a Associate degree, directors of preschool earn a median annual income of $46,246 compared to $46,118 for directors of preschool with an Bachelor's degree.

Director of preschool education level	Director of preschool salary
Master's Degree	$53,523
Bachelor's Degree	$46,118
Some College/ Associate Degree	$46,246

Director of preschool education FAQs

What is the best college for Directors Of Preschool?

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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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