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Shelter director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a shelter director. Shelter directors usually study social work, psychology, or business. 56% of shelter directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 339 real shelter director resumes to see exactly what shelter director education sections show.
The most common colleges for shelter directors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online shelter director courses to help get the education required to be a shelter director.
What education do you need to become a shelter director?
What degree do you need to be a shelter director?
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Master's, 25%
- Associate, 14%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a shelter director?
- Social Work, 15%
- Psychology, 12%
- Business, 11%
- Criminal Justice, 10%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for shelter directors
| Shelter director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 13.73% |
| University of Nebraska - Lincoln | 7.84% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 5.88% |
| Metropolitan College of New York | 5.88% |
| University of North Texas | 5.88% |
Best majors for shelter directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Work | 15.4% |
| 2 | Psychology | 12.2% |
| 3 | Business | 10.6% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 9.6% |
| 5 | Sociology | 5.9% |
Best colleges for shelter directors
The best colleges for shelter directors are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A shelter 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 shelter 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 shelter directors.
1. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
20 best online courses for shelter directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for shelter directors
The most affordable schools for shelter directors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for shelter 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 shelter directors.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for shelter directors
The hardest universities for shelter directors to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for shelter 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 shelter 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for shelter directors
The easiest schools for shelter directors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and bluefield college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a shelter 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 shelter directors.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
10. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
Average shelter director salary by education level
| Shelter director education level | Shelter director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $54,767 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,575 |
| Doctorate Degree | $59,050 |
Shelter director education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025