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Special programs director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a special programs director. Special programs directors usually study business, psychology, or social work. 62% of special programs directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 449 real special programs director resumes to see exactly what special programs director education sections show.
The most common colleges for special programs directors are the Old Dominion University and the Old Dominion University.
There are also many online special programs director courses to help get the education required to be a special programs director.
What education do you need to become a special programs director?
What degree do you need to be a special programs director?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a special programs director?
- Business, 17%
- Psychology, 11%
- Social Work, 7%
- Other Majors, 58%
Most common colleges for special programs directors
| Special programs director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Old Dominion University | 7.81% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 6.25% |
| Sam Houston State University | 6.25% |
| University of Houston | 6.25% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 4.69% |
Best majors for special programs directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 17.5% |
| 2 | Psychology | 11.2% |
| 3 | Social Work | 7.2% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 7.2% |
| 5 | Educational Leadership | 6.3% |
Best colleges for special programs directors
The best colleges for special programs directors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
A special programs 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 special programs 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 special programs 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. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
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. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
20 best online courses for special programs directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for special programs directors
The most affordable schools for special programs directors are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.
If the best universities for special programs 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 special programs directors.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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 special programs directors
The hardest universities for special programs directors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for special programs 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 special programs 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
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. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
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. 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. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for special programs directors
The easiest schools for special programs directors to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a special programs 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 special programs directors.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average special programs director salary by education level
| Special programs director education level | Special programs director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $71,570 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,791 |
Special programs director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025