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Physical director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a physical director. Physical directors usually study physical therapy, business, or kinesiology. 60% of physical directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 437 real physical director resumes to see exactly what physical director education sections show.
The most common colleges for physical directors are the West Chester University of Pennsylvania and the West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
There are also many online physical director courses to help get the education required to be a physical director.
What education do you need to become a physical director?
What degree do you need to be a physical director?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 11%
What should I major in to become a physical director?
- Physical Therapy, 19%
- Business, 13%
- Kinesiology, 11%
- Health Education, 10%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for physical directors
| Physical director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | 9.23% |
| Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania | 7.69% |
| University of Connecticut | 6.15% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.15% |
| Purdue University | 6.15% |
Best majors for physical directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physical Therapy | 18.8% |
| 2 | Business | 13.4% |
| 3 | Kinesiology | 11.2% |
| 4 | Health Education | 9.8% |
| 5 | Education | 5.8% |
Best colleges for physical directors
The best colleges for physical directors are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University.
A physical 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 physical 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 physical directors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,700
Enrollment
29,722
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
20 best online courses for physical directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for physical directors
The most affordable schools for physical directors are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for physical 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 physical directors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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 - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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 physical directors
The hardest universities for physical directors to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University.
Some great schools for physical 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 physical 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
7. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for physical directors
The easiest schools for physical directors to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a physical 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 physical directors.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
9. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average physical director salary by education level
| Physical director education level | Physical director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $91,003 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $76,035 |
| Doctorate Degree | $114,772 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $65,800 |
Physical director education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025