Research director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a research director. Research directors usually study business, political science, or psychology. 63% of research directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,473 real research director resumes to see exactly what research director education sections show.

The most common colleges for research directors are the New York University and the New York University.

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

There are certain research director certifications that you should consider. These research director certifications include Professional Researcher Certification (PRC) and Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP).

What education do you need to become a research director?

What degree do you need to be a research director?

The most common degree for research directors is bachelor's degree, with 63% of research directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 63%

Master's, 20%

Doctorate, 12%

Associate, 3%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a research director?

You should major in business to become a research director. 13% of research directors major in business. Other common majors for a research director include political science and psychology.

Business, 13%

Political Science, 11%

Psychology, 10%

Communication, 7%

Other Majors, 59%

Most common colleges for research directors

Research directors often get their degrees at New York University, University of Florida, and George Washington University, The. Here are the most common colleges for research directors in the US based on their resumes.

Research director common college	Percentages
New York University	9.66%
University of Florida	7.77%
George Washington University, The	6.51%
Harvard University	5.88%
Michigan State University	5.46%

Show more common research director colleges

Best majors for research directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	13.3%
2	Political Science	11.0%
3	Psychology	10.3%
4	Communication	7.1%
5	Marketing	6.6%

Show more common research director majors

Best colleges for research directors

The best colleges for research directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A research 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 research 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 research directors.

1. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

4. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

5. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

20 best online courses for research directors

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14. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales

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15. Research Methodology: Complete Research Project Blueprint

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Top 10 most affordable universities for research directors

The most affordable schools for research directors are SUNY Farmingdale, fashion institute of technology, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for research 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 research directors.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for research directors

The hardest universities for research directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for research 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 research 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research directors

The easiest schools for research directors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, lim college, and university of the incarnate word.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Ursuline College

Pepper Pike, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,102

8. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average research director salary by education level

Research directors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $132,976 annually. With a Master's degree, research directors earn a median annual income of $131,453 compared to $111,752 for research directors with an Bachelor's degree.

Research director education level	Research director salary
Master's Degree	$131,453
Bachelor's Degree	$111,752
Doctorate Degree	$132,976

Research director education FAQs

What is the best college for Research Directors?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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