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Sports director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sports director. Sports directors usually study communication, kinesiology, or journalism. 79% of sports directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,769 real sports director resumes to see exactly what sports director education sections show.
The most common colleges for sports directors are the Syracuse University and the Syracuse University.
There are also many online sports director courses to help get the education required to be a sports director.
There are certain sports director certifications that you should consider. These sports director certifications include Certified Personal Trainer and Athletic Trainer Certification (ATC).
What education do you need to become a sports director?
What degree do you need to be a sports director?
- Bachelor's, 79%
- Master's, 8%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a sports director?
- Communication, 20%
- Kinesiology, 18%
- Journalism, 13%
- Business, 9%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for sports directors
| Sports director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Syracuse University | 6.99% |
| The University of Alabama | 6.64% |
| University of Florida | 5.94% |
| Ohio University | 5.59% |
| University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | 5.59% |
Best majors for sports directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 19.5% |
| 2 | Kinesiology | 18.4% |
| 3 | Journalism | 13.3% |
| 4 | Business | 9.3% |
| 5 | Health Education | 6.4% |
Best colleges for sports directors
The best colleges for sports directors are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.
A sports 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 sports 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 sports directors.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
10. Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$11,803
Enrollment
4,631
20 best online courses for sports directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for sports directors
The most affordable schools for sports directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for sports 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 sports directors.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sports directors
The hardest universities for sports directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for sports 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 sports 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sports directors
The easiest schools for sports directors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sports 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 sports directors.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
8. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
9. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average sports director salary by education level
| Sports director education level | Sports director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $68,806 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,130 |
Sports director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025