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Staffing director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a staffing director. Staffing directors usually study business, psychology, or marketing. 70% of staffing directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 628 real staffing director resumes to see exactly what staffing director education sections show.

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

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

There are certain staffing director certifications that you should consider. These staffing director certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).

What education do you need to become a staffing director?

What degree do you need to be a staffing director?

The most common degree for staffing directors is bachelor's degree, with 70% of staffing directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 11% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 70%
  • Associate, 11%
  • Master's, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a staffing director?

You should major in business to become a staffing director. 33% of staffing directors major in business. Other common majors for a staffing director include psychology and marketing.

Most common colleges for staffing directors

Staffing directors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Arizona State University, and California State University - San Bernardino. Here are the most common colleges for staffing directors in the US based on their resumes.
Staffing director common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix14.29%
Arizona State University6.49%
California State University - San Bernardino6.49%
University of Maryland - College Park6.49%
San Jose State University5.19%

Best majors for staffing directors

RankMajorPercentages
1Business32.9%
2Psychology11.2%
3Marketing7.6%
4Nursing5.7%
5Communication5.1%

Best colleges for staffing directors

The best colleges for staffing directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A staffing 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 staffing 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 staffing directors.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for staffing directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for staffing directors

The most affordable schools for staffing directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.

If the best universities for staffing 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 staffing 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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

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 staffing directors

The hardest universities for staffing directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for staffing 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 staffing 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

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

The easiest schools for staffing directors to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

6. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average staffing director salary by education level

Staffing directors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $64,973 annually. With a Master's degree, staffing directors earn a median annual income of $62,623 compared to $56,519 for staffing directors with an Bachelor's degree.
Staffing director education levelStaffing director salary
Master's Degree$62,623
Bachelor's Degree$56,519
Doctorate Degree$64,973
Some College/ Associate Degree$48,335

Staffing director education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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