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Drama director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a drama director. Drama directors usually study theatre, english, or education. 67% of drama directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 502 real drama director resumes to see exactly what drama director education sections show.
The most common colleges for drama directors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online drama director courses to help get the education required to be a drama director.
What education do you need to become a drama director?
What degree do you need to be a drama director?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 5%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a drama director?
Most common colleges for drama directors
| Drama director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 10.17% |
| Shenandoah University | 8.47% |
| Temple University | 6.78% |
| Emerson College | 5.08% |
| Ithaca College | 5.08% |
Best majors for drama directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theatre | 26.6% |
| 2 | English | 9.6% |
| 3 | Education | 9.2% |
| 4 | General Education, Specific Areas | 9.2% |
| 5 | Elementary Education | 6.8% |
Best colleges for drama directors
The best colleges for drama directors are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.
A drama 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 drama 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 drama directors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for drama directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for drama directors
The most affordable schools for drama directors are California State University - Long Beach, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for drama 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 drama directors.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
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 Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for drama directors
The hardest universities for drama directors to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for drama 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 drama 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for drama directors
The easiest schools for drama directors to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a drama 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 drama directors.
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. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average drama director salary by education level
| Drama director education level | Drama director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,856 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,997 |
Drama director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025