Applicator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an applicator. Applicators usually study business, agricultural business, or general studies. 35% of applicators hold a high school diploma, and 27% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,336 real applicator resumes to see exactly what applicator education sections show.

The most common colleges for applicators are the Central State University and the Central State University.

There are also many online applicator courses to help get the education required to be an applicator.

What education do you need to become an applicator?

What degree do you need to be an applicator?

The most common degree for applicators is high school diploma, with 35% of applicators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 27% and bachelor's degree degree at 24%.

High School Diploma, 35%

Bachelor's, 27%

Associate, 24%

Diploma, 9%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an applicator?

You should major in business to become an applicator. 20% of applicators major in business. Other common majors for an applicator include agricultural business and general studies.

Business, 20%

Agricultural Business, 10%

General Studies, 8%

Plant Sciences, 7%

Other Majors, 55%

Most common colleges for applicators

Applicators often get their degrees at Central State University, University of Nebraska - Kearney, and Purdue University. Here are the most common colleges for applicators in the US based on their resumes.

Applicator common college	Percentages
Central State University	9.59%
University of Nebraska - Kearney	9.59%
Purdue University	9.59%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale	8.22%
Ohio State University	6.85%

Show more common applicator colleges

Best majors for applicators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	20.5%
2	Agricultural Business	10.0%
3	General Studies	7.7%
4	Plant Sciences	6.6%
5	Agriculture	6.2%

Show more common applicator majors

Best colleges for applicators

The best colleges for applicators are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

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

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

2. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

5. University of Minnesota - Crookston

Crookston, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$11,822

Enrollment

1,834

6. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,360

Enrollment

3,142

7. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

10. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Fayetteville, AR • Private

In-state tuition

$9,130

Enrollment

23,121

20 best online courses for applicators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for applicators

The most affordable schools for applicators are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for applicators 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 applicators.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

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 applicators

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

Some great schools for applicators 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 applicators 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for applicators

The easiest schools for applicators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an applicator 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 applicators.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

7. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

8. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average applicator salary by education level

According to our data, applicators with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $47,815 annually. Applicators with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $44,284.

Applicator education level	Applicator salary
Master's Degree	$42,960
High School Diploma or Less	$39,926
Bachelor's Degree	$47,815
No Education	$37,456
Some College/ Associate Degree	$44,284

Applicator education FAQs

What is the best college for Applicators?

Have more questions? See all answers to common building and grounds maintenance questions.

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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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