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Educational program director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an educational program director. Educational program directors usually study education, business, or psychology. 60% of educational program directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,408 real educational program director resumes to see exactly what educational program director education sections show.
The most common colleges for educational program directors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online educational program director courses to help get the education required to be an educational program director.
There are certain educational program director certifications that you should consider. These educational program director certifications include Certified Security Supervision & Management (CSS) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).
What education do you need to become an educational program director?
What degree do you need to be an educational program director?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Master's, 26%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an educational program director?
- Education, 11%
- Business, 10%
- Psychology, 9%
- Other Majors, 63%
Most common colleges for educational program directors
| Educational program director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 15.29% |
| Arizona State University | 5.73% |
| University of Georgia | 5.73% |
| University of South Florida | 5.10% |
| Ohio State University | 5.10% |
Best majors for educational program directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education | 11.2% |
| 2 | Business | 9.9% |
| 3 | Psychology | 8.7% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 7.3% |
| 5 | Educational Leadership | 5.7% |
Best colleges for educational program directors
The best colleges for educational program directors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
An educational program 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 educational program 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 educational program 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for educational program directors
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6. Critical Issues in Urban Education
Urban school reform in the United States is characterized by contentious, politicized debate. This course explores a set of critical issues in the education and educational reform space, with a focus on aspects of the field that have sparked controversy and polarized views. We will dig into these debates, situating them within the larger history of public education and school reform, and considering the viewpoints, the evidence, and translation of issues into educational policy. We will...
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Top 10 most affordable universities for educational program directors
The most affordable schools for educational program directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for educational program 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 educational program 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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for educational program directors
The hardest universities for educational program directors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for educational program 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 educational program 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. 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for educational program directors
The easiest schools for educational program directors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an educational program 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 educational program directors.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
Average educational program director salary by education level
| Educational program director education level | Educational program director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $51,596 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,678 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025