University relations director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a university relations director. University relations directors usually study business, political science, or finance. 73% of university relations directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,011 real university relations director resumes to see exactly what university relations director education sections show.

The most common colleges for university relations directors are the Michigan State University and the Michigan State University.

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

There are certain university relations director certifications that you should consider. These university relations director certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI).

What education do you need to become a university relations director?

What degree do you need to be a university relations director?

The most common degree for university relations directors is bachelor's degree, with 73% of university relations directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 73%

Master's, 18%

Associate, 5%

Doctorate, 2%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a university relations director?

You should major in business to become a university relations director. 22% of university relations directors major in business. Other common majors for a university relations director include political science and finance.

Business, 22%

Political Science, 15%

Finance, 8%

Communication, 7%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for university relations directors

University relations directors often get their degrees at Michigan State University, New York University, and Northwestern University. Here are the most common colleges for university relations directors in the US based on their resumes.

University relations director common college	Percentages
Michigan State University	8.63%
New York University	7.84%
Northwestern University	6.27%
University of Southern California	5.88%
University of Florida	5.88%

Show more common university relations director colleges

Best majors for university relations directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	22.2%
2	Political Science	15.1%
3	Finance	7.8%
4	Communication	6.5%
5	Psychology	5.2%

Show more common university relations director majors

Best colleges for university relations directors

The best colleges for university relations directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A university relations 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 university relations 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 university relations 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. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for university relations directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for university relations directors

The most affordable schools for university relations directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.

If the best universities for university relations 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 university relations 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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for university relations directors

The hardest universities for university relations directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for university relations 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 university relations 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for university relations directors

The easiest schools for university relations directors to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and notre dame college.

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average university relations director salary by education level

According to our data, university relations directors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $116,672 annually. University relations directors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $99,640.

University relations director education level	University relations director salary
Master's Degree	$116,672
Bachelor's Degree	$99,640

University relations director education FAQs

What is the best college for University Relations 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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