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Director of staff development education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of staff development. Directors of staff development usually study nursing, business, or psychology. 54% of directors of staff development hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,349 real director of staff development resumes to see exactly what director of staff development education sections show.

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

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

There are certain director of staff development certifications that you should consider. These director of staff development certifications include Certified Manager Certification (CM) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

What education do you need to become a director of staff development?

What degree do you need to be a director of staff development?

The most common degree for directors of staff development is bachelor's degree, with 54% of directors of staff development earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 17%.
  • Bachelor's, 54%
  • Associate, 19%
  • Master's, 17%
  • Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a director of staff development?

You should major in nursing to become a director of staff development. 46% of directors of staff development major in nursing. Other common majors for a director of staff development include business and psychology.

Most common colleges for directors of staff development

Directors of staff development often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, George Washington University, The, and Excelsior College. Here are the most common colleges for directors of staff development in the US based on their resumes.
Director of staff development common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix16.57%
George Washington University, The6.51%
Excelsior College5.92%
Florida State University5.92%
Western Washington University5.33%

Best majors for directors of staff development

RankMajorPercentages
1Nursing45.8%
2Business11.7%
3Psychology6.0%
4Education4.4%
5Communication3.3%

Best colleges for directors of staff development

The best colleges for directors of staff development are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A director of staff development 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 staff development. 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 staff development.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

20 best online courses for directors of staff development

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of staff development

The most affordable schools for directors of staff development are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for directors of staff development 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 staff development.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of staff development

The hardest universities for directors of staff development to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for directors of staff development 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 staff development 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of staff development

The easiest schools for directors of staff development to get into are Barry University, wayland baptist university, and holy names university.

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

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. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average director of staff development salary by education level

Directors of staff development with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $77,777 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, directors of staff development earn a median annual income of $77,758 compared to $70,772 for directors of staff development with an Associate degree.
Director of staff development education levelDirector of staff development salary
Master's Degree$77,777
High School Diploma or Less$65,373
Bachelor's Degree$77,758
Some College/ Associate Degree$70,772

Director of staff development 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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