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Orchestra director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an orchestra director. Orchestra directors usually study music, general education, specific areas, or education. 71% of orchestra directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 466 real orchestra director resumes to see exactly what orchestra director education sections show.
The most common colleges for orchestra directors are the University of Hartford and the University of Hartford.
There are also many online orchestra director courses to help get the education required to be an orchestra director.
What education do you need to become an orchestra director?
What degree do you need to be an orchestra director?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 20%
- Doctorate, 4%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an orchestra director?
Most common colleges for orchestra directors
| Orchestra director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Hartford | 6.49% |
| University of Southern Mississippi | 6.49% |
| University of Cincinnati | 6.49% |
| Northwestern University | 6.49% |
| University of South Carolina - Columbia | 5.19% |
Best majors for orchestra directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music | 38.7% |
| 2 | General Education, Specific Areas | 32.6% |
| 3 | Education | 11.3% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 3.2% |
| 5 | Music Performance | 2.9% |
Best colleges for orchestra directors
The best colleges for orchestra directors are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.
An orchestra 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 orchestra 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 orchestra 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
10. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
20 best online courses for orchestra directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for orchestra directors
The most affordable schools for orchestra directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for orchestra 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 orchestra 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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for orchestra directors
The hardest universities for orchestra directors to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for orchestra 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 orchestra 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
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 orchestra directors
The easiest schools for orchestra 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 an orchestra 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 orchestra 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. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
Average orchestra director salary by education level
| Orchestra director education level | Orchestra director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,361 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $59,152 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $76,174 |
Orchestra director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025