Applications development specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an applications development specialist. Applications development specialists usually study computer science, computer information systems, or business. 70% of applications development specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 486 real applications development specialist resumes to see exactly what applications development specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for applications development specialists are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.

There are also many online applications development specialist courses to help get the education required to be an applications development specialist.

There are certain applications development specialist certifications that you should consider. These applications development specialist certifications include Oracle B2B Service 2021 Certified Implementation Specialist Certification and Software Engineering Master Certification (SEMC).

What education do you need to become an applications development specialist?

What degree do you need to be an applications development specialist?

The most common degree for applications development specialists is bachelor's degree, with 70% of applications development specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 70%

Master's, 15%

Associate, 10%

Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an applications development specialist?

You should major in computer science to become an applications development specialist. 34% of applications development specialists major in computer science. Other common majors for an applications development specialist include computer information systems and business.

Computer Science, 34%

Computer Information Systems, 11%

Business, 10%

Electrical Engineering, 6%

Other Majors, 39%

Most common colleges for applications development specialists

Applications development specialists often get their degrees at DeVry University, Southern University and A & M College, and University of Memphis. Here are the most common colleges for applications development specialists in the US based on their resumes.

Applications development specialist common college	Percentages
DeVry University	17.81%
Southern University and A & M College	12.33%
University of Memphis	5.48%
University of Phoenix	5.48%
Southeastern Louisiana University	5.48%

Show more common applications development specialist colleges

Best majors for applications development specialists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	33.8%
2	Computer Information Systems	11.4%
3	Business	9.7%
4	Electrical Engineering	5.5%
5	Information Technology	5.5%

Show more common applications development specialist majors

Best colleges for applications development specialists

The best colleges for applications development specialists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

An applications development specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for applications development specialists. 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 applications development specialists.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

20 best online courses for applications development specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for applications development specialists

The most affordable schools for applications development specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of houston - victoria.

If the best universities for applications development specialists 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 applications development specialists.

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. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

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 applications development specialists

The hardest universities for applications development specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for applications development specialists 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 applications development specialists 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for applications development specialists

The easiest schools for applications development specialists to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and cardinal stritch university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an applications development specialist 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 applications development specialists.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

4. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

10. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

Average applications development specialist salary by education level

According to our data, applications development specialists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $109,726 annually. Applications development specialists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $104,190.

Applications development specialist education level	Applications development specialist salary
Master's Degree	$109,726
High School Diploma or Less	$93,581
Bachelor's Degree	$104,190
Some College/ Associate Degree	$97,774

Applications development specialist education FAQs

What is the best college for Applications Development Specialists?

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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.

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