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Director of residential services education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of residential services. Directors of residential services usually study psychology, social work, or business. 57% of directors of residential services hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,596 real director of residential services resumes to see exactly what director of residential services education sections show.

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

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

What education do you need to become a director of residential services?

What degree do you need to be a director of residential services?

The most common degree for directors of residential services is bachelor's degree, with 57% of directors of residential services earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 24% and master's degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 57%
  • Master's, 24%
  • Associate, 11%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a director of residential services?

You should major in psychology to become a director of residential services. 24% of directors of residential services major in psychology. Other common majors for a director of residential services include social work and business.

Most common colleges for directors of residential services

Directors of residential services often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Here are the most common colleges for directors of residential services in the US based on their resumes.
Director of residential services common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix13.59%
New York University6.52%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale6.52%
Eastern Illinois University6.52%
Illinois State University5.43%

Best majors for directors of residential services

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology24.1%
2Social Work14.6%
3Business10.5%
4Criminal Justice6.5%
5Sociology5.8%

Best colleges for directors of residential services

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

A director of residential services 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 residential services. 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 residential services.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for directors of residential services

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of residential services

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

If the best universities for directors of residential services 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 residential services.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of residential services

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

Some great schools for directors of residential services 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 residential services 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of residential services

The easiest schools for directors of residential services to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, bluefield college, and wayland baptist university.

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

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

Average director of residential services salary by education level

According to our data, directors of residential services with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $90,663 annually. Directors of residential services with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $84,978.
Director of residential services education levelDirector of residential services salary
Master's Degree$84,978
Bachelor's Degree$72,557
Doctorate Degree$90,663

Director of residential services 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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