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Executive director/administrator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an executive director/administrator. Executive directors/administrator usually study business, nursing, or psychology. 60% of executive directors/administrator hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,476 real executive director/administrator resumes to see exactly what executive director/administrator education sections show.
The most common colleges for executive directors/administrator are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online executive director/administrator courses to help get the education required to be an executive director/administrator.
What education do you need to become an executive director/administrator?
What degree do you need to be an executive director/administrator?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become an executive director/administrator?
- Business, 32%
- Nursing, 11%
- Psychology, 8%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for executive directors/administrator
| Executive director/administrator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 20.00% |
| University of Central Florida | 6.40% |
| Florida State University | 5.60% |
| Brigham Young University | 4.80% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 4.80% |
Best majors for executive directors/administrator
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 32.0% |
| 2 | Nursing | 11.5% |
| 3 | Psychology | 8.1% |
| 4 | Health Care Administration | 6.7% |
| 5 | Management | 5.9% |
Best colleges for executive directors/administrator
The best colleges for executive directors/administrator are University of Pennsylvania, Boston College, and Stanford University.
An executive director/administrator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for executive directors/administrator. 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 executive directors/administrator.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
3. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
6. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. Cedar Crest College
Allentown, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$39,216
Enrollment
1,303
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
20 best online courses for executive directors/administrator
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Top 10 most affordable universities for executive directors/administrator
The most affordable schools for executive directors/administrator are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for executive directors/administrator 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 executive directors/administrator.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Dickinson State University
Dickinson, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$6,768
Cost of attendance
15,506
8. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for executive directors/administrator
The hardest universities for executive directors/administrator to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Boston College, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for executive directors/administrator 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 executive directors/administrator 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. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for executive directors/administrator
The easiest schools for executive directors/administrator to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, d'youville college, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an executive director/administrator 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 executive directors/administrator.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average executive director/administrator salary by education level
| Executive director/administrator education level | Executive director/administrator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $96,533 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $85,555 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $96,078 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $87,731 |
Executive director/administrator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025