Survey director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a survey director. Survey directors usually study business, engineering, or natural resources management. 51% of survey directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 106 real survey director resumes to see exactly what survey director education sections show.

The most common colleges for survey directors are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

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

What education do you need to become a survey director?

What degree do you need to be a survey director?

The most common degree for survey directors is bachelor's degree, with 51% of survey directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 24% and associate degree degree at 18%.

Bachelor's, 51%

Associate, 24%

Master's, 18%

Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a survey director?

You should major in business to become a survey director. 13% of survey directors major in business. Other common majors for a survey director include engineering and natural resources management.

Business, 13%

Engineering, 8%

Natural Resources Management, 8%

Anthropology, 6%

Other Majors, 65%

Most common colleges for survey directors

Survey directors often get their degrees at Purdue University, California State University - Fresno, and Austin Community College. Here are the most common colleges for survey directors in the US based on their resumes.

Survey director common college	Percentages
Purdue University	12.00%
California State University - Fresno	8.00%
Austin Community College	8.00%
Ferris State University	8.00%
California State University - Fullerton	4.00%

Show more common survey director colleges

Best majors for survey directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	13.5%
2	Engineering	7.7%
3	Natural Resources Management	7.7%
4	Anthropology	5.8%
5	Psychology	5.8%

Show more common survey director majors

Best colleges for survey directors

The best colleges for survey directors are Yale University, Purdue University, and Washington University in St Louis.

A survey 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 survey 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 survey directors.

1. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

2. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Enrollment

11,139

3. University of Maine

Orono, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$11,170

Enrollment

8,861

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

8. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

9. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,874

Enrollment

1,819

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

20 best online courses for survey directors

Advertising disclosure

1. Survey Data Collection and Analytics

This specialization covers the fundamentals of surveys as used in market research, evaluation research, social science and political research, official government statistics, and many other topic domains. In six courses, you will learn the basics of questionnaire design, data collection methods, sampling design, dealing with missing values, making estimates, combining data from different sources, and the analysis of survey data. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned...

2. Use SurveyMonkey to Create a Survey and Analyze Results

In this project, we will walk through the survey making process and explore the many ways that SurveyMonkey streamlines and simplifies data collection. We will learn how the program is organized and how it operates, helping you feel comfortable and confident enough to create your own survey to meet your own individual needs. SurveyMonkey is a cloud based survey software which allows its users to create online surveys for free. SurveyMonkey can help move a business in the right direction by...

3. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation BBS with Excel & CAD

4.4

(1,052)

Quantity Surveying, Construction Estimation ,Quantity survey ,Cost Estimation ,Civil engineering, Building Estimation...

4. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation,Cad Excel & Planswift

4.4

(2,658)

Quantity Surveying, Quantity Takeoff, BBS In Excel ,Complete Project In Autocad, Project Planning With Primavera P6...

5. Analyze Survey Data with Tableau

Surveys are used in a variety of scenarios, both in businesses and in research. Companies are using them to better understand consumer insights and feedback, and researchers are going beyond the traditional uses to learn more about the world around us. Tableau can help visualize survey data of all kinds in a useful way—without needing advanced statistics, graphic design, or a statistics background. In this project, learners will learn how to create an account in Tableau and how to manipulate...

6. Utilize Survey Monkey as an Evaluation Tool

Surveys and evaluations can be used to reflect on your training or customer experiences. The data you collect can help to adjust your training and you can find out directly from your employees if they are satisfied. Customers can let you know what they are thinking and what they actually want. In this project you will learn about Survey Monkey as an evaluation tool throughout the cycle of developing an event. By the end of your time in this project you will have multiple evaluation surveys to...

7. The Ultimate Guide for Land Surveying with Drones - Part 3

4.3

(277)

Master the use of Ground Control Points (GCPs) to make your UAV mapping projects absolutely survey grade!!...

8. Quantity Surveying Templates for Effective Cost Management

4.5

(345)

Quantity Surveying, Payment Application, Payment Tracker, Variation, Claim, Material Claim, Guarantees, Price Comparison...

9. Design a User Experience Survey in SurveyMonkey

By the end of this project you will be able to design a User Experience survey that will collect data to uncover user needs, how products meet those needs, and mine insights that will aid in building and designing solutions. To do this, you will gain hands-on experience designing a User Experience survey with a free account on the SurveyMonkey cloud-based software service. Note: This course works best for learners who are based in the North America region. We’re currently working on providing...

10. Diploma in Basics of Civil Engineering for Construction

4.3

(294)

Practical Course to Gain Quick Knowledge in Civil Engineering & Get Entry Level Jobs in Construction as Freshers...

11. Quantity Surveying With Rate Analysis And Take Off-Beginners

4.2

(340)

Quantity Surveying, Quantity Takeoff, Estimation, Rate Analysis, Blubeam Revu, Planswift, Costing, Construction Drawings...

12. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales

4.6

(505)

How to Process Survey Data and Analyze Likert Scales In SPSS...

13. The Ultimate Guide for Land Surveying with Drones - Part 2

4.1

(515)

Learn to work with Pix4D & Drone Deploy outputs on QGIS, Auto CAD & Google Earth. Start your own UAV mapping business now!...

14. Construction Methodology Basics in Civil Engineering

4.5

(1,001)

New Home Construction & Building construction along with Home Repair ,Estimation & Plumbing With Video Step By Step...

15. The Ultimate Guide for Land Surveying with Drones - Part 1

4.3

(1,178)

Master the complete workflow using Drone Deploy, Litchi and Pix4D. Start your own UAV mapping business right away!...

16. Construction Procurement Management

4.5

(300)

A course on procurement designed for engineers new to the infrastructure/construction industry...

17. Complete KoboToolbox Training Course

4.5

(388)

Learn the basic & advanced techniques of developing & deploying mobile survey data collection forms with Kobo Toolbox...

18. Construction Project Scheduling

4.5

(346)

Learn the tools and techniques used by construction management professionals to ensure projects finish on time...

19. Quantity Surveying/Bar-bending Schedule (B.B.S) Course

4.2

(429)

Quantity Surveying/Bar bending Learn To Create Bar-Bending Schedule For Different Structures In Excel...

20. Mastering Construction/Project Management

4.2

(659)

Mastering Construction-Project Management in less than 10 Hours...

Top 10 most affordable universities for survey directors

The most affordable schools for survey directors are University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez, purdue university, and florida international university.

If the best universities for survey 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 survey directors.

1. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

2. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Cost of attendance

17,885

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Cost of attendance

24,718

10. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Cost of attendance

21,341

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for survey directors

The hardest universities for survey directors to get into are Yale University, Purdue University, and Washington University in St Louis.

Some great schools for survey 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 survey 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. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

2. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

3. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

7. University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,300

8. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

1,359

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,326

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,269

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

The easiest schools for survey directors to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, texas a&m; university - corpus christi, and ferris state university.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

3. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

4. Pennsylvania State University - Wilkes-Barre

Lehman, PA • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,075

5. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

6. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

7. Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,016

8. Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, FL • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,196

9. Troy University

Troy, AL • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,082

10. Alderson Broaddus University

Philippi, WV • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,029

Average survey director salary by education level

Survey director education level	Survey director salary
Bachelor's Degree	$60,343

Survey director education FAQs

What is the best college for Survey 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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