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Program director/music director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a program director/music director. Program director/music directors usually study communication, music, or audiovisual communications technologies. 66% of program director/music directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 555 real program director/music director resumes to see exactly what program director/music director education sections show.
The most common colleges for program director/music directors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online program director/music director courses to help get the education required to be a program director/music director.
What education do you need to become a program director/music director?
What degree do you need to be a program director/music director?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a program director/music director?
- Communication, 21%
- Music, 18%
- Journalism, 8%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for program director/music directors
| Program director/music director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 10.00% |
| Columbia College Chicago | 6.67% |
| University of North Texas | 6.67% |
| Berklee College of Music | 6.67% |
| Northwestern University | 6.67% |
Best majors for program director/music directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 21.2% |
| 2 | Music | 17.6% |
| 3 | Audiovisual Communications Technologies | 7.6% |
| 4 | Journalism | 7.6% |
| 5 | Business | 6.5% |
Best colleges for program director/music directors
The best colleges for program director/music directors are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A program director/music 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 program director/music 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 program director/music directors.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
6. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
20 best online courses for program director/music directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for program director/music directors
The most affordable schools for program director/music directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for program director/music 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 program director/music 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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for program director/music directors
The hardest universities for program director/music directors to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for program director/music 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 program director/music 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
10. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for program director/music directors
The easiest schools for program director/music directors to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, wayland baptist university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a program director/music 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 program director/music directors.
1. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
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. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
6. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average program director/music director salary by education level
| Program director/music director education level | Program director/music director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $70,393 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,305 |
Program director/music director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025