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Director of sports medicine education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of sports medicine. Directors of sports medicine usually study athletic training, kinesiology, or physical therapy. 58% of directors of sports medicine hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 229 real director of sports medicine resumes to see exactly what director of sports medicine education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of sports medicine are the University of Kentucky and the University of Kentucky.

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

What education do you need to become a director of sports medicine?

What degree do you need to be a director of sports medicine?

The most common degree for directors of sports medicine is bachelor's degree, with 58% of directors of sports medicine earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 24% and master's degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 58%
  • Master's, 24%
  • Doctorate, 12%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a director of sports medicine?

You should major in athletic training to become a director of sports medicine. 18% of directors of sports medicine major in athletic training. Other common majors for a director of sports medicine include kinesiology and physical therapy.

Most common colleges for directors of sports medicine

Directors of sports medicine often get their degrees at University of Kentucky, University of Virginia, and Purdue University. Here are the most common colleges for directors of sports medicine in the US based on their resumes.
Director of sports medicine common collegePercentages
University of Kentucky6.98%
University of Virginia6.98%
Purdue University6.98%
San Jose State University4.65%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale4.65%

Best majors for directors of sports medicine

RankMajorPercentages
1Athletic Training17.9%
2Kinesiology12.5%
3Physical Therapy11.3%
4Health Education10.7%
5Medicine10.7%

Best colleges for directors of sports medicine

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

A director of sports medicine 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 sports medicine. 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 sports medicine.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

8. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

20 best online courses for directors of sports medicine

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of sports medicine

The most affordable schools for directors of sports medicine are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for directors of sports medicine 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 sports medicine.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of sports medicine

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

Some great schools for directors of sports medicine 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 sports medicine 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of sports medicine

The easiest schools for directors of sports medicine to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and d'youville college.

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

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. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

Average director of sports medicine salary by education level

According to our data, directors of sports medicine with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $179,378 annually. Directors of sports medicine with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $142,026.
Director of sports medicine education levelDirector of sports medicine salary
Master's Degree$142,026
Bachelor's Degree$118,535
Doctorate Degree$179,378
Some College/ Associate Degree$102,487

Director of sports medicine 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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