Distance education director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a distance education director. Distance education directors usually study psychology, curriculum and instruction, or education. 65% of distance education directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 53 real distance education director resumes to see exactly what distance education director education sections show.

The most common colleges for distance education directors are the Sarah Lawrence College and the Sarah Lawrence College.

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

What education do you need to become a distance education director?

What degree do you need to be a distance education director?

The most common degree for distance education directors is bachelor's degree, with 65% of distance education directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 65%

Master's, 22%

Doctorate, 11%

Associate, 2%

What should I major in to become a distance education director?

You should major in psychology to become a distance education director. 13% of distance education directors major in psychology. Other common majors for a distance education director include curriculum and instruction and education.

Psychology, 13%

Curriculum And Instruction, 10%

Education, 10%

Secondary Education And Teaching, 8%

Other Majors, 59%

Most common colleges for distance education directors

Distance education directors often get their degrees at Sarah Lawrence College, University of Massachusetts Boston, and Nova Southeastern University. Here are the most common colleges for distance education directors in the US based on their resumes.

Distance education director common college	Percentages
Sarah Lawrence College	8.70%
University of Massachusetts Boston	8.70%
Nova Southeastern University	8.70%
University of Houston	4.35%
University of Colorado at Boulder	4.35%

Show more common distance education director colleges

Best majors for distance education directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	12.5%
2	Curriculum And Instruction	10.0%
3	Education	10.0%
4	Secondary Education And Teaching	7.5%
5	Liberal Arts	7.5%

Show more common distance education director majors

Best colleges for distance education directors

The best colleges for distance education directors are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

A distance education 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 distance education 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 distance education directors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

9. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

20 best online courses for distance education directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for distance education directors

The most affordable schools for distance education directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - los angeles.

If the best universities for distance education 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 distance education directors.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for distance education directors

The hardest universities for distance education directors to get into are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for distance education 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 distance education 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for distance education directors

The easiest schools for distance education directors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, barry university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a distance education 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 distance education directors.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average distance education director salary by education level

Distance education directors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $101,411 annually. With a Master's degree, distance education directors earn a median annual income of $86,329 compared to $68,713 for distance education directors with an Bachelor's degree.

Distance education director education level	Distance education director salary
Master's Degree	$86,329
Bachelor's Degree	$68,713
Doctorate Degree	$101,411

Distance education director education FAQs

What is the best college for Distance Education Directors?

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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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