Disaster response director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a disaster response director. Disaster response directors usually study business, nursing, or psychology. 57% of disaster response directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 321 real disaster response director resumes to see exactly what disaster response director education sections show.

The most common colleges for disaster response directors are the George Washington University, The and the George Washington University, The.

There are also many online disaster response director courses to help get the education required to be a disaster response director.

What education do you need to become a disaster response director?

What degree do you need to be a disaster response director?

The most common degree for disaster response directors is bachelor's degree, with 57% of disaster response directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 57%

Associate, 18%

Master's, 12%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a disaster response director?

You should major in business to become a disaster response director. 17% of disaster response directors major in business. Other common majors for a disaster response director include nursing and psychology.

Business, 17%

Nursing, 12%

Psychology, 11%

Political Science, 8%

Other Majors, 52%

Most common colleges for disaster response directors

Disaster response directors often get their degrees at George Washington University, The, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York, and University of Akron. Here are the most common colleges for disaster response directors in the US based on their resumes.

Disaster response director common college	Percentages
George Washington University, The	9.30%
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York	6.98%
University of Akron	6.98%
Texas A&M University	4.65%
University of South Dakota	4.65%

Show more common disaster response director colleges

Best majors for disaster response directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	17.4%
2	Nursing	12.3%
3	Psychology	10.9%
4	Political Science	8.0%
5	Fire Science And Protection	6.5%

Show more common disaster response director majors

Best colleges for disaster response directors

The best colleges for disaster response directors are Northeastern University, George Washington University, The, and SUNY at Binghamton.

A disaster response director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for disaster response directors. 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 disaster response directors.

1. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

2. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

8. Arizona State University at SkySong

Scottsdale, AZ • Private

In-state tuition

$10,317

Enrollment

29,636

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. Southwestern College

Winfield, KS • Private

In-state tuition

$30,150

Enrollment

1,314

20 best online courses for disaster response directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for disaster response directors

The most affordable schools for disaster response directors are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and florida international university.

If the best universities for disaster response directors 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 disaster response directors.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

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 disaster response directors

The hardest universities for disaster response directors to get into are Northeastern University, George Washington University, The, and SUNY at Binghamton.

Some great schools for disaster response directors 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 disaster response directors 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

2. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

3. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for disaster response directors

The easiest schools for disaster response directors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, wayland baptist university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a disaster response director 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 disaster response directors.

1. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

5. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average disaster response director salary by education level

According to our data, disaster response directors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $94,103 annually. Disaster response directors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $83,807.

Disaster response director education level	Disaster response director salary
Master's Degree	$83,807
High School Diploma or Less	$45,353
Bachelor's Degree	$68,451
Doctorate Degree	$94,103
Some College/ Associate Degree	$49,768

Disaster response director education FAQs

What is the best college for Disaster Response Directors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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