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Religious education director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a religious education director. Religious education directors usually study theology, business, or religion. 61% of religious education directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 786 real religious education director resumes to see exactly what religious education director education sections show.

The most common colleges for religious education directors are the Franciscan University of Steubenville and the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

There are also many online religious education director courses to help get the education required to be a religious education director.

There are certain religious education director certifications that you should consider. These religious education director certifications include Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and Certified AM Directional Specialist (AMD).

What education do you need to become a religious education director?

What degree do you need to be a religious education director?

The most common degree for religious education directors is bachelor's degree, with 61% of religious education directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 25% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 61%
  • Master's, 25%
  • Associate, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a religious education director?

You should major in theology to become a religious education director. 21% of religious education directors major in theology. Other common majors for a religious education director include business and religion.

Most common colleges for religious education directors

Religious education directors often get their degrees at Franciscan University of Steubenville, University of Pittsburgh, and Georgian Court University. Here are the most common colleges for religious education directors in the US based on their resumes.
Religious education director common collegePercentages
Franciscan University of Steubenville19.51%
University of Pittsburgh6.10%
Georgian Court University6.10%
Western Michigan University4.88%
Wayland Baptist University4.88%

Best majors for religious education directors

RankMajorPercentages
1Theology21.0%
2Business10.1%
3Religion8.2%
4Elementary Education7.7%
5Psychology7.2%

Best colleges for religious education directors

The best colleges for religious education directors are Emory University, Boston College, and Yale University.

A religious education 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 religious education 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 religious education directors.

1. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. William Jessup University

Rocklin, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$33,550

Enrollment

1,246

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

6. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

7. Lincoln Christian University

Lincoln, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$13,200

Enrollment

398

8. Crown College

Saint Bonifacius, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$26,200

Enrollment

844

9. Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$22,584

Enrollment

45,370

10. George Fox University

Newberg, OR • Private

In-state tuition

$36,020

Enrollment

2,669

20 best online courses for religious education directors

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5. Critical Issues in Urban Education

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6. What future for education?

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13. Educating Deaf Children: Becoming an Empowered Teacher

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Top 10 most affordable universities for religious education directors

The most affordable schools for religious education directors are Luther Rice College and Seminary, brigham young university, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for religious education 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 religious education directors.

1. Luther Rice College and Seminary

Lithonia, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,616

Cost of attendance

8,720

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

6. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

8. John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,270

Cost of attendance

14,177

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for religious education directors

The hardest universities for religious education directors to get into are Emory University, Boston College, and Yale University.

Some great schools for religious education 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 religious education 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. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

2. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

3. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for religious education directors

The easiest schools for religious education directors to get into are Nyack College, oklahoma wesleyan university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a religious education 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 religious education directors.

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

6. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

7. Hardin-Simmons University

Abilene, TX • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,085

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average religious education director salary by education level

Religious education directors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $56,120 annually. With a Associate degree, religious education directors earn a median annual income of $46,106 compared to $45,935 for religious education directors with an Bachelor's degree.
Religious education director education levelReligious education director salary
Master's Degree$56,120
Bachelor's Degree$45,935
Some College/ Associate Degree$46,106

Religious education director education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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