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Day Care Center Director Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a day care center director. Day care center directors usually study psychology, early childhood education, or social work. 52% of day care center directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 215 real day care center director resumes to see exactly what day care center director education sections show.
The most common colleges for day care center directors are the Montclair State University and the Montclair State University.
There are also many online day care center director courses to help get the education required to be a day care center director.
What education do you need to become a day care center director?
What degree do you need to be a day care center director?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 16%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a day care center director?
- Psychology, 14%
- Social Work, 9%
- Other Majors, 58%
Most common colleges for day care center directors
Day Care Center Director Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Montclair State University | 13.33% |
| Kean University | 6.67% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.67% |
| Saint Joseph's University | 6.67% |
| University of Wisconsin - La Crosse | 6.67% |
Best majors for day care center directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 14.0% |
| 2 | Early Childhood Education | 10.0% |
| 3 | Social Work | 9.0% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 9.0% |
| 5 | Business | 7.0% |
Best colleges for day care center directors
The best colleges for day care center directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
A day care center 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 day care center 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 day care center directors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for day care center directors
Advertising Disclosure
1. Child Care as a Business
This course is targeted toward individuals wishing to run a home-based child care center. It covers topics such as the fundamentals of an in-home childcare setting as a business; the importance of financial management of a child care center; the creation of a child care contract; and an exploration of how to set tuition rates. Since a Family Policy Handbook is essential for anyone operating a family day care center, this course includes the development of one of three imperative sections of the...
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Have you ever needed health care and thought that there must be better ways to get or deliver health care? For example, have you found yourself thinking that there should be a way to get a diagnostic test or treatment at home? Or do you work in a healthcare organization and find yourself thinking that there must be better ways to deliver health care? If you have, this course is for you. Course content includes an overview of health care delivery including healthcare consumerism, the patient's...
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Operations Management Training Program (Course 8 of 8)...
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Palliative Care Always is a specialization for health care practitioners, patients and caregivers. We’ve designed this specialization to demonstrate how palliative medicine integrates with patient care, and to help you develop primary palliative care skills. Over the next five courses, you will develop skills in symptom management, goals of care and effective communication to improve the quality of life for patients and families suffering with serious illness. Our hope is that you feel...
6. Health Care IT: Challenges and Opportunities
A strong argument can be made that the health care field is one of the most information-intensive sectors in the U.S. economy and avoidance of the rapid advances in information technology is no longer an option. Consequently, the study of health care information technology and systems has become central to health care delivery effectiveness. This course covers the modern application of information technology that is critical to supporting the vision and operational knowledge of the health care...
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9. Caring for Others
Caring for Others examines how society cares for its at-risk members and the experiences of its caregivers. This specialization addresses questions such as: How much suffering is in the world today? Does digital media sensitize/desensitize us to the anguish of distant others? What are the different types of paid care work? How do care workers manage their emotions? And much more. This specialization is relevant to individuals interested in becoming a helping professional as well as anyone...
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This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...
Top 10 most affordable universities for day care center directors
The most affordable schools for day care center directors are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for day care center 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 day care center directors.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,182
Cost of Attendance
13,998
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,942
Cost of Attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for day care center directors
The hardest universities for day care center directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for day care center 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 day care center 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. 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
6%
SAT Average
1,512
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
20%
SAT Average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for day care center directors
The easiest schools for day care center directors to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a day care center 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 day care center directors.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
100%
SAT Average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
84%
SAT Average
1,031
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
92%
SAT Average
1,031
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
1,003
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
93%
SAT Average
1,026
Average day care center director salary by education level
| Day Care Center Director education level | Day Care Center Director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $82,314 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $66,057 |
| Doctorate Degree | $96,050 |
Day Care Center Director Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025