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Residence Director Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a residence director. Residence directors usually study nursing, psychology, or business. 67% of residence directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,580 real residence director resumes to see exactly what residence director education sections show.
The most common colleges for residence directors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online residence director courses to help get the education required to be a residence director.
There are certain residence director certifications that you should consider. These residence director certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI).
What education do you need to become a residence director?
What degree do you need to be a residence director?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 9%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a residence director?
- Nursing, 18%
- Psychology, 14%
- Business, 13%
- Communication, 6%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for residence directors
| Residence Director Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 7.96% |
| Lindenwood University | 7.32% |
| Springfield College | 6.37% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.73% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.41% |
Best majors for residence directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 17.8% |
| 2 | Psychology | 14.1% |
| 3 | Business | 12.8% |
| 4 | Communication | 5.9% |
| 5 | Education | 4.9% |
Best colleges for residence directors
The best colleges for residence directors are University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, and Vanderbilt University.
A residence 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 residence 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 residence 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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
4. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-State Tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
8. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
9. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
10. Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,803
Enrollment
4,631
20 best online courses for residence directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for residence directors
The most affordable schools for residence directors are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for residence 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 residence directors.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Cost of Attendance
16,091
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,942
Cost of Attendance
14,469
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,749
Cost of Attendance
14,823
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
8. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,210
Cost of Attendance
14,359
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,556
Cost of Attendance
19,434
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,656
Cost of Attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for residence directors
The hardest universities for residence directors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for residence 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 residence 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,445
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions Rate
10%
SAT Average
1,514
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
20%
SAT Average
1,419
5. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
29%
SAT Average
1,407
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,513
7. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
28%
SAT Average
1,429
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions Rate
42%
SAT Average
1,380
9. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
29%
SAT Average
1,422
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
19%
SAT Average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for residence directors
The easiest schools for residence directors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and ottawa university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a residence 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 residence directors.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
92%
SAT Average
1,031
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
68%
SAT Average
964
3. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions Rate
78%
SAT Average
1,024
4. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,046
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
100%
SAT Average
1,072
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
994
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions Rate
86%
SAT Average
991
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
70%
SAT Average
849
9. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
72%
SAT Average
1,017
10. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions Rate
96%
SAT Average
1,111
Average residence director salary by education level
| Residence Director education level | Residence Director salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $46,035 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,189 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,803 |
Residence Director Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025