Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Planning director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a planning director. Planning directors usually study business, finance, or accounting. 69% of planning directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,056 real planning director resumes to see exactly what planning director education sections show.
The most common colleges for planning directors are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online planning director courses to help get the education required to be a planning director.
There are certain planning director certifications that you should consider. These planning director certifications include Certified Planning Engineer (CPE) and Certified Planner (AICP).
What education do you need to become a planning director?
What degree do you need to be a planning director?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a planning director?
- Business, 27%
- Finance, 9%
- Accounting, 9%
- Marketing, 6%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for planning directors
| Planning director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 9.62% |
| New York University | 8.65% |
| Syracuse University | 6.73% |
| University of Florida | 6.41% |
| Michigan State University | 5.45% |
Best majors for planning directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 27.2% |
| 2 | Finance | 9.2% |
| 3 | Accounting | 8.9% |
| 4 | Marketing | 6.4% |
| 5 | Political Science | 5.4% |
Best colleges for planning directors
The best colleges for planning directors are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
A planning 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 planning 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 planning directors.
1. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
2. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
20 best online courses for planning directors
Advertising disclosure
1. Product Management (Part Time)
Balance business viability, technical feasibility, and customer desire to lead products and features toward long-term success. Learn from a seasoned expert. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
2. Digital Marketing (Part Time)
Build confidence and capability to apply modern marketing strategies on the job. Drive growth with multichannel campaigns powered by data and customer insight. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
3. Predictive Analytics for Business
Learn to apply predictive analytics and business intelligence to solve real-world business problems...
4. Marketing Analytics
Gain an in-depth understanding of Google Analytics and marketing analytics. Analyze data and build models with Excel, Data Studio, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...
5. Strategic Planning Skills
Strategic Planning Skills...
6. Strategic Planning Basics for Human Resources
Learn to collaborate with your organizational leaders on the development and implementation of a strategic plan...
7. Product Manager
Envision and lead the product strategy of industry-defining products, and learn to successfully bring them to market. Influence the execution of product development as a Product Manager, one of the most highly-coveted roles in technology...
8. Data Product Manager
Leverage data to build products that deliver the right experiences, to the right users, at the right time. Lead the development of data-driven products that position businesses to win in their market...
9. The Complete Business Plan Course (Includes 50 Templates)
Everything You Need to Make a Great Business Plan by an Award Winning Business School Prof, VC & Successful Entrepreneur...
10. How To Write A Simple And Successful Business Plan
Learn how to effectively write a simple and successful business plan that attracts attention. (template included)...
11. Digital Marketing
Gain real-world experience running live campaigns as you learn from top experts in the field. Launch your career with a 360-degree understanding of digital marketing...
12. AI for Business Leaders
Master the foundations of artificial intelligence so you can strategically implement AI in your company. Leverage machine learning technologies to power corporate growth, increase efficiency, and enhance customer experiences...
13. Business Plan: Outlines , Templates & Case Study
Learn Business Planning & Lean Thinking to develop a Complete Business Plan...
14. Open To buy- Retail Merchandising Planning
Merchandise Financial Planning...
15. Business Analytics
In this program, you will learn foundational data skills that apply across functions and industries. You will learn to analyze data and build models with Excel, query databases using SQL, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...
16. AI Product Manager
Learn to develop AI products that deliver business value. Build skills that help you compete in the new AI-powered world...
17. Strong & Effective Marketing Plan (Plan Template & Example)
Innovative approach for a winning offline and digital marketing plan (important part of your business plan)...
18. Financial Planning Coaching Certification Holistic Coaching
Financial Planning Coaching Practitioner Course Graduates Prepared Professionals in Holistic Financial Planning Coaching...
19. Growth Product Manager
Hone specialized Product Management skills in growth strategy. Lead experimentation and data-driven decision-making in your organization to drive products to reach the next level of scale, impact, and profitability...
20. Product Strategy
Learn how to build a bullet-proof vision & strategy for any digital product idea. By the end of this course, you’ll know how to identify the right problems to solve, map out business models for capturing revenue, and successfully pitch your strategy to stakeholders...
Top 10 most affordable universities for planning directors
The most affordable schools for planning directors are University of Florida, fashion institute of technology, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for planning 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 planning directors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for planning directors
The hardest universities for planning directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for planning 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 planning 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
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. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for planning directors
The easiest schools for planning directors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a planning 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 planning directors.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average planning director salary by education level
| Planning director education level | Planning director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $154,576 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $136,793 |
| Doctorate Degree | $161,393 |
Planning director education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for planning director jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025