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Sports information director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sports information director. Sports information directors usually study kinesiology, communication, or business. 79% of sports information directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 757 real sports information director resumes to see exactly what sports information director education sections show.
The most common colleges for sports information directors are the Marshall University and the Marshall University.
There are also many online sports information director courses to help get the education required to be a sports information director.
What education do you need to become a sports information director?
What degree do you need to be a sports information director?
- Bachelor's, 79%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a sports information director?
- Kinesiology, 19%
- Communication, 18%
- Business, 11%
- Journalism, 11%
- Other Majors, 41%
Most common colleges for sports information directors
| Sports information director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Marshall University | 7.06% |
| University of Arizona | 7.06% |
| Virginia State University | 7.06% |
| Brigham Young University | 5.88% |
| Bowling Green State University | 5.88% |
Best majors for sports information directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 19.0% |
| 2 | Communication | 17.6% |
| 3 | Business | 11.4% |
| 4 | Journalism | 11.2% |
| 5 | English | 6.0% |
Best colleges for sports information directors
The best colleges for sports information directors are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.
A sports information 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 information 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 information 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
9. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for sports information directors
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1. Data Streaming
Learn how to process data in real-time by building fluency in modern data engineering tools, such as Apache Spark, Kafka, Spark Streaming, and Kafka Streaming. ...
2. Sports Performance Analytics
Sports analytics has emerged as a field of research with increasing popularity propelled, in part, by the real-world success illustrated by the best-selling book and motion picture, Moneyball. Analysis of team and player performance data has continued to revolutionize the sports industry on the field, court, and ice as well as in living rooms among fantasy sports players and online sports gambling.\n\nDrawing from real data sets in Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball...
3. Activism in Sports and Culture
Sports have become an ever-present reflection of American culture, and an important symbol of the divisions and alliances in our society. Sports and political change walk hand in hand in America. The way that athletes and institutions deal with questions of race, economic hardship, nationalism, and political ties have become central to the way that we understand ourselves and our society. And yet, there are those who would prefer their sports free of controversy and opinion. Dedicated athletes,...
4. Sport Psychology for Athletes
Master the fundamentals of sport psychology to improve performance and gain a mental edge...
5. Introductory Sport Psychology
Developing sport psychology skills that you can use when you train, compete or coach...
6. Sports Marketing
Today, there is demand for people skilled in Sports Marketing. Organizations want your expertise to strength and grow customer bases and teams want to enlarge their fan base, attract new sponsors to their sport, build strong programs with existing sponsors, and run their fan conventions and other events. In addition, a wide range of companies recognize the value sports relationships have in positioning and building their brands. In this Sports Marketing MOOC, you will learn: — Ticket pricing...
7. Data Analytics in Sports Law and Management
Athletes, lawyers and team executive experts provide insight in how law and regulations intersect with data analytics and sports management techniques for best practices in the sports industry. Several courses provide the basis for how data analytics function within player evaluation, team performance, and roster management. The specialization introduces various regulatory, managerial and legal frameworks that includes athlete representation, facilities, and event management and conclude with...
8. Sports Nutrition for Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts
Learn all about sports nutrition with 7 hours of online video content and start training SMARTER instead of HARDER...
9. Applied Sport Psychology and Leadership in Sport Certificate
Enhance your knowledge of sport psychology from an athlete or coach perspective with this comprehensive applied course...
10. Introduction to Machine Learning in Sports Analytics
In this course students will explore supervised machine learning techniques using the python scikit learn (sklearn) toolkit and real-world athletic data to understand both machine learning algorithms and how to predict athletic outcomes. Building on the previous courses in the specialization, students will apply methods such as support vector machines (SVM), decision trees, random forest, linear and logistic regression, and ensembles of learners to examine data from professional sports leagues...
11. Sports Turf Management: Best Practices
The Sports Turf Management: Best Practices course will cover the construction, management, and challenges in maintaining athletic fields intended for football, soccer, and baseball. You will learn the fundamental management practices for maintaining athletic fields, such as fertilization, irrigation, mowing, and pest control. An overview of athletic field construction, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of native soil versus modified soil fields, will be provided. Lastly, you will...
12. Sports Management: The Essentials Course
A Comprehensive Overview at How the Sports Industry Operates and the Challenges Facing the Modern Sports Industry Today...
13. Sports Massage: The Technique Masterclass
Learn the most effective sports massage techniques for the entire body (2 CEUs)...
14. The Science of Training Young Athletes
Seventy percent of kids drop out of sports before their high school graduation. Only 15% leave because they feel they are not good enough. Almost 70% leave because they were not having fun, or due to problems with the coach. Injuries cause 30% to give up sports. This course is packed full of practical sports science information that provide youth coaches and parents with the practical pediatric sports science insights to successfully retain young athletes and develop their sport potential while...
15. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Sports Nutrition
Learn About The Fundamentals Of Sport Nutrition Science And How To Fuel Your Athlete Client...
16. Sports Massage: Positional Release Certificate Course
Learn Sports Massage Positional Release Techniques to produce profound pain relief and improve bodily function (2 CEUs)...
17. Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO)
Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO) Certification Exam Prep Course...
18. Ashiatsu or Shiatsu Barefoot Sports Massage Therapy
Let your feet do the work for you!...
19. Sports Massage: Muscle Energy Technique Certificate Course
Grow your practice by learning sports massage the power of muscle energy techniques (2 CEUs)...
20. Information Technology Essentials
Introduction to Information Technology and Information Systems...
Top 10 most affordable universities for sports information directors
The most affordable schools for sports information directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for sports information 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 information 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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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 information directors
The hardest universities for sports information directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for sports information 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 information 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
8. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
9. Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA • Private
Admissions rate
36%
SAT average
1,330
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sports information directors
The easiest schools for sports information directors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sports information 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 information directors.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
6. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average sports information director salary by education level
| Sports information director education level | Sports information director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $36,938 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,622 |
Sports information director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025