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On-air director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an on-air director. On-air directors usually study communication, journalism, or business. 72% of on-air directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 816 real on-air director resumes to see exactly what on-air director education sections show.
The most common colleges for on-air directors are the Florida State University and the Florida State University.
There are also many online on-air director courses to help get the education required to be an on-air director.
What education do you need to become an on-air director?
What degree do you need to be an on-air director?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become an on-air director?
- Communication, 30%
- Journalism, 14%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for on-air directors
| On-air director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Florida State University | 9.21% |
| Syracuse University | 6.58% |
| University of Central Oklahoma | 6.58% |
| Southeastern Louisiana University | 6.58% |
| Indiana University South Bend | 6.58% |
Best majors for on-air directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 29.7% |
| 2 | Journalism | 14.2% |
| 3 | Business | 7.3% |
| 4 | Audiovisual Communications Technologies | 6.8% |
| 5 | Photography | 5.4% |
Best colleges for on-air directors
The best colleges for on-air directors are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Southern California.
An on-air 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 on-air 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 on-air directors.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
4. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
20 best online courses for on-air directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for on-air directors
The most affordable schools for on-air directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for on-air 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 on-air 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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for on-air directors
The hardest universities for on-air directors to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for on-air 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 on-air 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for on-air directors
The easiest schools for on-air directors to get into are Barry University, university of the incarnate word, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an on-air 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 on-air directors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
7. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average on-air director salary by education level
| On-air director education level | On-air director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $71,925 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $66,278 |
On-air director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025