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Studio director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a studio director. Studio directors usually study communication, graphic design, or business. 78% of studio directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 607 real studio director resumes to see exactly what studio director education sections show.
The most common colleges for studio directors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online studio director courses to help get the education required to be a studio director.
What education do you need to become a studio director?
What degree do you need to be a studio director?
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Associate, 9%
- Master's, 8%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a studio director?
- Communication, 13%
- Graphic Design, 12%
- Business, 11%
- Fine Arts, 10%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for studio directors
| Studio director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 10.47% |
| School of Visual Arts | 10.47% |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 8.14% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 5.81% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 5.81% |
Best majors for studio directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 13.3% |
| 2 | Graphic Design | 11.7% |
| 3 | Business | 10.5% |
| 4 | Fine Arts | 10.2% |
| 5 | Photography | 7.2% |
Best colleges for studio directors
The best colleges for studio directors are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A studio 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 studio 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 studio directors.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for studio directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for studio directors
The most affordable schools for studio directors are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for studio 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 studio directors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
10. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for studio directors
The hardest universities for studio directors to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for studio 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 studio 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
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 studio directors
The easiest schools for studio 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 studio 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 studio 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. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
10. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
Average studio director salary by education level
| Studio director education level | Studio director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $126,362 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $76,799 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $122,428 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $90,986 |
Studio director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025