State director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a state director. State directors usually study business, political science, or psychology. 67% of state directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,737 real state director resumes to see exactly what state director education sections show.

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

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

There are certain state director certifications that you should consider. These state director certifications include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Manager Certification (CM).

What education do you need to become a state director?

What degree do you need to be a state director?

The most common degree for state directors is bachelor's degree, with 67% of state directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 67%

Master's, 20%

Associate, 6%

Doctorate, 3%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a state director?

You should major in business to become a state director. 21% of state directors major in business. Other common majors for a state director include political science and psychology.

Business, 21%

Political Science, 16%

Psychology, 8%

Communication, 6%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for state directors

State directors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Pennsylvania State University, and Florida State University. Here are the most common colleges for state directors in the US based on their resumes.

State director common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	10.56%
Pennsylvania State University	6.11%
Florida State University	6.11%
George Washington University, The	6.11%
Ohio State University	5.56%

Show more common state director colleges

Best majors for state directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	20.7%
2	Political Science	15.9%
3	Psychology	7.7%
4	Communication	6.5%
5	Education	4.7%

Show more common state director majors

Best colleges for state directors

The best colleges for state directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A state 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 state 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 state directors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

7. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

20 best online courses for state directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for state directors

The most affordable schools for state directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for state 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 state 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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

8. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for state directors

The hardest universities for state directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for state 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 state 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

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

The easiest schools for state directors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.

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

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average state director salary by education level

State directors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $115,227 annually. With a Doctorate degree, state directors earn a median annual income of $115,210 compared to $105,421 for state directors with an Bachelor's degree.

State director education level	State director salary
Master's Degree	$115,227
Bachelor's Degree	$105,421
Doctorate Degree	$115,210
Some College/ Associate Degree	$81,019

State director education FAQs

What is the best college for State Directors?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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