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Director of special services education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a director of special services. Directors of special services usually study business, education, or psychology. 57% of directors of special services hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 569 real director of special services resumes to see exactly what director of special services education sections show.
The most common colleges for directors of special services are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online director of special services courses to help get the education required to be a director of special services.
What education do you need to become a director of special services?
What degree do you need to be a director of special services?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Master's, 27%
- Associate, 8%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a director of special services?
- Business, 15%
- Education, 12%
- Psychology, 11%
- Special Education, 11%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for directors of special services
| Director of special services common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 9.72% |
| University of Memphis | 6.94% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.94% |
| New York University | 5.56% |
| Missouri State University | 5.56% |
Best majors for directors of special services
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 15.1% |
| 2 | Education | 12.1% |
| 3 | Psychology | 11.2% |
| 4 | Special Education | 10.9% |
| 5 | Educational Leadership | 9.4% |
Best colleges for directors of special services
The best colleges for directors of special services are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.
A director of special 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 special 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 special services.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
20 best online courses for directors of special services
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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of special services
The most affordable schools for directors of special services are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.
If the best universities for directors of special 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 special services.
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of special services
The hardest universities for directors of special services to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.
Some great schools for directors of special 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 special 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
9. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of special services
The easiest schools for directors of special services to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, d'youville college, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of special 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 special services.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
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. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average director of special services salary by education level
| Director of special services education level | Director of special services salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $93,375 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $80,544 |
| Doctorate Degree | $103,577 |
Director of special services education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025