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Director of support services education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of support services. Directors of support services usually study business, psychology, or social work. 59% of directors of support services hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,929 real director of support services resumes to see exactly what director of support services education sections show.

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

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

There are certain director of support services certifications that you should consider. These director of support services certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL).

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

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

The most common degree for directors of support services is bachelor's degree, with 59% of directors of support services earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 59%
  • Master's, 20%
  • Associate, 12%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

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

You should major in business to become a director of support services. 30% of directors of support services major in business. Other common majors for a director of support services include psychology and social work.

Most common colleges for directors of support services

Directors of support services often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Pennsylvania State University, and Webster University. Here are the most common colleges for directors of support services in the US based on their resumes.
Director of support services common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix21.52%
Pennsylvania State University6.73%
Webster University5.83%
DeVry University5.38%
Western Washington University4.48%

Best majors for directors of support services

RankMajorPercentages
1Business30.1%
2Psychology9.5%
3Social Work6.0%
4Nursing5.8%
5Management5.6%

Best colleges for directors of support services

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

A director of support 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 support 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 support services.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for directors of support services

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of support services

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

If the best universities for directors of support 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 support 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 - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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

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

Some great schools for directors of support 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 support 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

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

The easiest schools for directors of support services to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and gwynedd mercy university.

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

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average director of support services salary by education level

Directors of support services with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $87,093 annually. With a Master's degree, directors of support services earn a median annual income of $77,758 compared to $58,963 for directors of support services with an Bachelor's degree.
Director of support services education levelDirector of support services salary
Master's Degree$77,758
Bachelor's Degree$58,963
Doctorate Degree$87,093

Director of support 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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