Summer camp director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a summer camp director. Summer camp directors usually study elementary education, business, or education. 70% of summer camp directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,157 real summer camp director resumes to see exactly what summer camp director education sections show.

The most common colleges for summer camp directors are the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

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

There are certain summer camp director certifications that you should consider. These summer camp director certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Child Development Associate (CDA).

What education do you need to become a summer camp director?

What degree do you need to be a summer camp director?

The most common degree for summer camp directors is bachelor's degree, with 70% of summer camp directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 70%

Master's, 12%

Associate, 12%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a summer camp director?

You should major in elementary education to become a summer camp director. 13% of summer camp directors major in elementary education. Other common majors for a summer camp director include business and education.

Elementary Education, 13%

Business, 9%

Education, 9%

Psychology, 8%

Other Majors, 61%

Most common colleges for summer camp directors

Summer camp directors often get their degrees at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University of Phoenix, and Howard University. Here are the most common colleges for summer camp directors in the US based on their resumes.

Summer camp director common college	Percentages
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	7.80%
University of Phoenix	6.42%
Howard University	6.42%
New York University	5.96%
University of Georgia	5.96%

Show more common summer camp director colleges

Best majors for summer camp directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Elementary Education	13.0%
2	Business	9.3%
3	Education	9.0%
4	Psychology	8.4%
5	Kinesiology	7.2%

Show more common summer camp director majors

Best colleges for summer camp directors

The best colleges for summer camp directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

A summer camp 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 summer camp 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 summer camp directors.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for summer camp directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for summer camp directors

The most affordable schools for summer camp directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for summer camp 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 summer camp 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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for summer camp directors

The hardest universities for summer camp directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for summer camp 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 summer camp 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

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 summer camp directors

The easiest schools for summer camp directors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.

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

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

Average summer camp director salary by education level

According to our data, summer camp directors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $44,520 annually. Summer camp directors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $42,294.

Summer camp director education level	Summer camp director salary
Master's Degree	$44,520
High School Diploma or Less	$35,198
Bachelor's Degree	$42,294
Some College/ Associate Degree	$39,567

Summer camp director education FAQs

What is the best college for Summer Camp Directors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.

Search for summer camp director jobs

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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