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Organizational development director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an organizational development director. Organizational development directors usually study business, psychology, or human resources management. 63% of organizational development directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 606 real organizational development director resumes to see exactly what organizational development director education sections show.
The most common colleges for organizational development directors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online organizational development director courses to help get the education required to be an organizational development director.
There are certain organizational development director certifications that you should consider. These organizational development director certifications include Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).
What education do you need to become an organizational development director?
What degree do you need to be an organizational development director?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 25%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Associate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an organizational development director?
- Business, 26%
- Psychology, 13%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for organizational development directors
| Organizational development director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 8.05% |
| Teachers College of Columbia University | 6.90% |
| Western Michigan University | 5.75% |
| Florida State University | 5.75% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 5.75% |
Best majors for organizational development directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 25.6% |
| 2 | Psychology | 12.9% |
| 3 | Human Resources Management | 7.4% |
| 4 | Counseling Psychology | 6.3% |
| 5 | Education | 5.8% |
Best colleges for organizational development directors
The best colleges for organizational development directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
An organizational development 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 organizational development 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 organizational development directors.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for organizational development directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for organizational development directors
The most affordable schools for organizational development directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for organizational development 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 organizational development 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. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for organizational development directors
The hardest universities for organizational development directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for organizational development 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 organizational development 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for organizational development directors
The easiest schools for organizational development directors to get into are Barry University, wayland baptist university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an organizational development 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 organizational development directors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
Average organizational development director salary by education level
| Organizational development director education level | Organizational development director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $124,294 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $99,745 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $124,256 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $110,290 |
Organizational development director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025