Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Welfare director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a welfare director. Welfare directors usually study management, business, or special education. 63% of welfare directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 54 real welfare director resumes to see exactly what welfare director education sections show.
The most common colleges for welfare directors are the University of New Hampshire and the University of New Hampshire.
There are also many online welfare director courses to help get the education required to be a welfare director.
What education do you need to become a welfare director?
What degree do you need to be a welfare director?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 16%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a welfare director?
- Management, 11%
- Business, 11%
- Psychology, 5%
- Other Majors, 68%
Most common colleges for welfare directors
| Welfare director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of New Hampshire | 8.70% |
| University of Maine | 8.70% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 8.70% |
| Ohio State University | 4.35% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 4.35% |
Best majors for welfare directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Management | 10.8% |
| 2 | Business | 10.8% |
| 3 | Special Education | 5.4% |
| 4 | Psychology | 5.4% |
| 5 | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology | 5.4% |
Best colleges for welfare directors
The best colleges for welfare directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A welfare 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 welfare 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 welfare 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
9. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for welfare directors
Advertising disclosure
1. Equine Welfare and Management
This unique course was developed by veterinarians at the world-renowned University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. The course will address horsemanship from a welfare perspective, within the context of “The Five Freedoms” of animal welfare. We’ll explore equine physiology, behavior and basic needs including housing, nutrition, hygiene and disease management. You’ll learn how to perform basic tasks to assess the overall condition of the horse and identify problem areas. We’ll...
2. Chicken Behaviour and Welfare
This course explains the general principles of chicken behaviour and welfare, and the behavioural and physiological indicators that can be used to assess welfare in chickens kept in hobby flocks through to commercial farms. The focus is primarily on laying hens and meat chickens (broilers) although many of the principles are relevant to other types of poultry. The course is likely to be of interest to people who own chickens as pets or keep a small hobby flock, commercial egg and chicken meat...
3. Building an Organizational Budget
Design program budgets from a simplified approach along with conceptual understandings...
4. IT Project Budget & Cost Management
Project Management tips to manage a million dollar IT Project budget from start to finish...
5. US Social Services: Where did they come from?
The course probes the formation of social policy in the United States from its very first cultural and religious roots. Starting with the transition from hunter-gatherer groups to agrarian villages, the course will examine the passage of the Poor Laws that shaped social policy through the colonial period until the beginnings of the 20th century, when the challenge of making the industrial city livable gave rise to the development of the welfare state. As part of this transformation, the...
6. Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners
In the U.S., social policy accounts for two-thirds of government spending. Knowing how policies are constructed, what values underlie them, and how they succeed or fail makes everyone more effective at work or in their civic role. This specialization includes an HONORS track in which learners will complete a professional social policy analysis.\n\nTeachers, health care workers, police, and social workers interact with policy daily, but all of us should care about the impact and effectiveness of...
7. Chief Financial Officer Leadership Program
An ever expanding program of courses helping financial professionals aspire to the top levels of financial leadership...
8. Professional Diploma in Office Administration Management
Principles of work of Office Administrator. Required hard and soft skills. Introduction to MS Office and banking area...
9. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0
Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...
10. Executive Assistants: Manage Client's GCal (Beginners)
Google Calendar (2018) Setup, Strategies and Scripts...
11. Must-Have Skills (Training) for Virtual Assistants in 2023
Get training for the most frequently requested services (+ free delegation e Book and TONS of templates and scripts)...
12. Financial Planning & Analysis: Building a Company's Budget
Learn the Fundamentals of Financial Planning and Position Your Career for Success!...
13. Time Value of Money & Capital Budgeting - Present Value
Mastering Financial Decision-Making: Time Value of Money & Capital Budgeting for Long-Term Success...
14. Budgeting for Business
Learn how to create and use budgets effectively in company large or small...
15. How to Become a Virtual Assistant
Resources, templates & training to launch & grow your business fast!...
16. Learn How To Budget - Personal budgeting made easy
Everything you need to KNOW and everything you need to DO to set and stick to a monthly budget...
17. Security Management: Excellence in Private Protection
A complete Security Management knowledge suite of managing security operations, programs/services, budgets, & personnel...
18. Financial Budgeting and Forecasting In Excel Complete Course
Template Included! Learn how to build a financial model using Microsoft Excel. Become a financial model expert...
19. Become a Virtual Assistant
Live Free. Work Virtually. Virtual Assistant Training...
20. Virtual Assistant: Find, Hire, Train, and Manage
Work smarter, not harder: Learn how to win the war against Entrepreneurial Overwhelm with virtual assistants...
Top 10 most affordable universities for welfare directors
The most affordable schools for welfare 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 welfare 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 welfare 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. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for welfare directors
The hardest universities for welfare directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for welfare 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 welfare 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for welfare directors
The easiest schools for welfare 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 welfare 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 welfare 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. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
9. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average welfare director salary by education level
| Welfare director education level | Welfare director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $79,424 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,512 |
| Doctorate Degree | $87,043 |
Welfare director education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for welfare director jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025