Security director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a security director. Security directors usually study criminal justice, business, or law enforcement. 51% of security directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,556 real security director resumes to see exactly what security director education sections show.

The most common colleges for security directors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain security director certifications that you should consider. These security director certifications include Certified Law Enforcement Analysts (CLEA) and Security 5 Certification.

What education do you need to become a security director?

What degree do you need to be a security director?

The most common degree for security directors is bachelor's degree, with 51% of security directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 22% and associate degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 51%

Associate, 22%

Master's, 11%

High School Diploma, 9%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a security director?

You should major in criminal justice to become a security director. 40% of security directors major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a security director include business and law enforcement.

Criminal Justice, 40%

Business, 17%

Law Enforcement, 5%

Management, 4%

Other Majors, 34%

Most common colleges for security directors

Security directors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York, and American University. Here are the most common colleges for security directors in the US based on their resumes.

Security director common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	20.00%
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York	8.00%
American University	7.00%
University of Maryland - College Park	5.67%
Northeastern University	5.67%

Show more common security director colleges

Best majors for security directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	40.4%
2	Business	16.8%
3	Law Enforcement	5.3%
4	Management	3.7%
5	Political Science	3.5%

Show more common security director majors

Best colleges for security directors

The best colleges for security directors are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A security 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 security 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 security directors.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

7. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

8. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

9. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

10. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

20 best online courses for security directors

Advertising disclosure

1. AWS Fundamentals: Addressing Security Risk

Welcome to AWS Fundamentals: Addressing Security Risk! This course will give you an overview of security best practices when developing and managing applications on AWS. The course, created by AWS experts and delivered by AWS Solutions Architects, uses video lectures, hands-on exercise guides, demonstrations, and quizzes to dive deep on concepts about security on AWS. You will learn about the concept of “least privilege” and the AWS Shared Responsibility Model, as well as view demonstrations of...

2. Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO)

4.5

(656)

Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO) Certification Exam Prep Course...

3. The Complete Cyber Security Course: Network Security!

4.6

(16,367)

Volume 2 : Network Security, Wi Fi Security, Wi Fi Hackers, Firewalls, Wireshark, Secure Networking. + Password Managers...

4. Security Management: Excellence in Private Protection

4.5

(905)

A complete Security Management knowledge suite of managing security operations, programs/services, budgets, & personnel...

5. AWS Security: DevSecOps & AWS Security Services & Terraform

4.5

(331)

Cloud Security in AWS Implement SAST, SCA & DAST in AWS Dev Sec Ops Pipeline from scratch and Security Services in AWS...

6. IT Security 101 - Cyber Security for Beginners

4.2

(390)

Learn cyber security best practice tips on securing computer networks from internal & external IT cyber security threats...

7. Information Security Fundamentals - Cyber Security Bootcamp

4.2

(267)

A Beginners Awareness Guide on Information Security & Cyber Security to Keep Online and Offline Devices Safe!...

8. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

4.1

(1,311)

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)...

9. Automotive Cyber Security

4.2

(1,627)

A learners Guide: Covers Automotive Security, Concepts of Security and many more...

10. Linux Security and Hardening, The Practical Security Guide.

4.5

(3,902)

Secure any Linux server from hackers & protect it against hacking. The practical Linux Administration security guide...

11. SC-900 Microsoft Security, Compliance, Identity Fundamentals

4.5

(769)

SC-900 Microsoft Security, Compliance, Identity Fundamentals Preparation...

12. ISO/IEC 27005:2022. Information security risk management

4.6

(878)

Understand the framework proposed by ISO for managing information security risks in an organization...

13. Security Awareness Training, Internet Security for Employees

4.6

(29,418)

Basic security awareness guide on Internet security and privacy to help keep you, your home, and your employer safe...

14. IT Security Gumbo: Cloud Security Fundamentals

4.1

(559)

The Foundation of AWS Cloud Security...

15. Information Systems Security for Professionals: CISSP

4.5

(2,165)

Making Next Gen Information Security Leaders...

16. SAP Security Administration

4.6

(2,133)

SAP Security and Auditing...

17. ISACA CISM Certified Information Security Manager

(285)

One of the highest paid certifications! Become a Certified Information Security Manager!...

18. Cyber Security: Info Security, Combat Cyber Threats, ChatGPT

4.4

(760)

Cyber Threats, Attacks, Viruses, Chat GPT & Cyber, Cyber Crimes, Firewalls, Cyber Security Concepts, Digital Forensics...

19. ISO/IEC 27002:2022. Information security controls

4.5

(770)

Learn about the comprehensive set of information security controls proposed by ISO/IEC 27002:2022...

20. CCSO - Certified Cloud Security Officer

4.7

(1,162)

Prepare for the Mile2® Certified Cloud Security Officer Exam (CCSO) with this course...

Top 10 most affordable universities for security directors

The most affordable schools for security directors are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for security 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 security directors.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

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 security directors

The hardest universities for security directors to get into are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for security 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 security 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

6. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

7. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,300

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

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

The easiest schools for security directors to get into are Nyack College, notre dame college, and gwynedd mercy university.

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

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

Average security director salary by education level

Security directors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $153,476 annually. With a Master's degree, security directors earn a median annual income of $144,376 compared to $127,079 for security directors with an Bachelor's degree.

Security director education level	Security director salary
Master's Degree	$144,376
High School Diploma or Less	$97,323
Bachelor's Degree	$127,079
Doctorate Degree	$153,476
Some College/ Associate Degree	$102,894

Security director education FAQs

What is the best college for Security Directors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

Search for security director jobs

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

Browse executive management jobs