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Executive director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an executive director. Executive directors usually study business, psychology, or political science. 63% of executive directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 61,715 real executive director resumes to see exactly what executive director education sections show.
The most common colleges for executive directors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online executive director courses to help get the education required to be an executive director.
There are certain executive director certifications that you should consider. These executive director certifications include Certified Manager Certification (CM) and Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
What education do you need to become an executive director?
What degree do you need to be an executive director?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 8%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an executive director?
- Business, 25%
- Psychology, 9%
- Communication, 6%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for executive directors
| Executive director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.42% |
| New York University | 7.47% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.27% |
| Ohio State University | 5.68% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.35% |
Best majors for executive directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 25.2% |
| 2 | Psychology | 8.8% |
| 3 | Political Science | 6.7% |
| 4 | Communication | 5.7% |
| 5 | Nursing | 4.5% |
Best colleges for executive directors
The best colleges for executive directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
An executive 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 executive 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 executive 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
7. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for executive directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for executive directors
The most affordable schools for executive directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for executive 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 executive 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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for executive directors
The hardest universities for executive directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for executive 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 executive 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
10. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for executive directors
The easiest schools for executive directors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an executive 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 executive 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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,080
9. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
10. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
Average executive director salary by education level
| Executive director education level | Executive director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $135,989 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $121,843 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $135,406 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $124,658 |
Executive director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025