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Theatre director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a theatre director. Theatre directors usually study theatre, english, or education. 73% of theatre directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 589 real theatre director resumes to see exactly what theatre director education sections show.
The most common colleges for theatre directors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online theatre director courses to help get the education required to be a theatre director.
What education do you need to become a theatre director?
What degree do you need to be a theatre director?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 4%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a theatre director?
Most common colleges for theatre directors
| Theatre director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 12.00% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 8.00% |
| Emerson College | 6.67% |
| Central Washington University | 5.33% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 5.33% |
Best majors for theatre directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theatre | 49.4% |
| 2 | English | 6.3% |
| 3 | Education | 5.8% |
| 4 | Music | 5.0% |
| 5 | General Education, Specific Areas | 4.5% |
Best colleges for theatre directors
The best colleges for theatre directors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A theatre 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 theatre 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 theatre 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for theatre directors
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2. The Piano Sonata: Beethoven and the Romantics
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In this 3-course specialization, learners will analyze important passages and components of the piano sonata repertoire, while gaining a solid knowledge of the sonata’s inner workings and a better sense of historical developments in the genre. Across the series, learners will dive into compositions by Scarlatti, CPE Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, Scriabin, Medtner, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, and others.\n\nThese courses were filmed at the University of...
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17. Ableton Live 11 - Music Production in Ableton Live
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18. Beginner Alto Saxophone Lessons
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20. Mixing and Mastering in Logic Pro X - Music Production Guide
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Top 10 most affordable universities for theatre directors
The most affordable schools for theatre directors are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and purdue university.
If the best universities for theatre 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 theatre directors.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Brigham Young University - Hawaii
Laie, HI • Private
In-state tuition
$5,560
Cost of attendance
18,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for theatre directors
The hardest universities for theatre directors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for theatre 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 theatre 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. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
8. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
9. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
10. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for theatre directors
The easiest schools for theatre directors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and thomas more university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a theatre 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 theatre 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. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
4. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Clarke University
Dubuque, IA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,058
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
Average theatre director salary by education level
| Theatre director education level | Theatre director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,437 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,552 |
Theatre director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025