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Stage director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a stage director. Stage directors usually study music, theatre, or communication. 61% of stage directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 325 real stage director resumes to see exactly what stage director education sections show.
The most common colleges for stage directors are the Indiana University Bloomington and the Indiana University Bloomington.
There are also many online stage director courses to help get the education required to be a stage director.
What education do you need to become a stage director?
What degree do you need to be a stage director?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a stage director?
- Music, 20%
- Theatre, 15%
- Communication, 8%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for stage directors
| Stage director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Indiana University Bloomington | 7.84% |
| Full Sail University | 7.84% |
| Arizona State University | 5.88% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 5.88% |
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | 5.88% |
Best majors for stage directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music | 20.1% |
| 2 | Theatre | 14.8% |
| 3 | Communication | 8.1% |
| 4 | Political Science | 7.4% |
| 5 | Business | 5.4% |
Best colleges for stage directors
The best colleges for stage directors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A stage 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 stage 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 stage directors.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
9. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for stage directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for stage directors
The most affordable schools for stage directors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for stage 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 stage 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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for stage directors
The hardest universities for stage directors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for stage 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 stage 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
7. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
8. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for stage directors
The easiest schools for stage directors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a stage 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 stage directors.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average stage director salary by education level
| Stage director education level | Stage director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,273 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,321 |
Stage director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025