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Residential director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a residential director. Residential directors usually study psychology, business, or social work. 59% of residential directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,394 real residential director resumes to see exactly what residential director education sections show.
The most common colleges for residential directors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online residential director courses to help get the education required to be a residential director.
There are certain residential director certifications that you should consider. These residential director certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA).
What education do you need to become a residential director?
What degree do you need to be a residential director?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a residential director?
- Psychology, 21%
- Business, 11%
- Social Work, 10%
- Criminal Justice, 9%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for residential directors
| Residential director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.60% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 10.95% |
| Ashford University | 5.84% |
| Worcester State University | 5.84% |
| Ball State University | 5.84% |
Best majors for residential directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 20.5% |
| 2 | Business | 11.3% |
| 3 | Social Work | 9.9% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 8.6% |
| 5 | Sociology | 6.5% |
Best colleges for residential directors
The best colleges for residential directors are University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Southern California.
A residential 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 residential 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 residential directors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
20 best online courses for residential directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for residential directors
The most affordable schools for residential directors are California State University - Bakersfield, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for residential 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 residential directors.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for residential directors
The hardest universities for residential directors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for residential 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 residential 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for residential directors
The easiest schools for residential directors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, the university of texas permian basin, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a residential 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 residential directors.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average residential director salary by education level
| Residential director education level | Residential director salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $50,944 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,586 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $57,257 |
Residential 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