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Audio/video engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an audio/video engineer. Audio/video engineers usually study photography, music, or electrical engineering. 53% of audio/video engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 534 real audio/video engineer resumes to see exactly what audio/video engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for audio/video engineers are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.
There are also many online audio/video engineer courses to help get the education required to be an audio/video engineer.
What education do you need to become an audio/video engineer?
What degree do you need to be an audio/video engineer?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Associate, 27%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become an audio/video engineer?
- Photography, 14%
- Music, 13%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for audio/video engineers
| Audio/video engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Full Sail University | 15.87% |
| University of Memphis | 7.94% |
| Berklee College of Music | 6.35% |
| Colorado Technical University | 6.35% |
| James Madison University | 6.35% |
Best majors for audio/video engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 14.2% |
| 2 | Music | 13.4% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 10.2% |
| 4 | Audiovisual Communications Technologies | 7.9% |
| 5 | Communication | 7.9% |
Best colleges for audio/video engineers
The best colleges for audio/video engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
An audio/video engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for audio/video engineers. 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 audio/video engineers.
1. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
2. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for audio/video engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for audio/video engineers
The most affordable schools for audio/video engineers are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and city college of new york of the city university of new york, the.
If the best universities for audio/video engineers 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 audio/video engineers.
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. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
9. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
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 audio/video engineers
The hardest universities for audio/video engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for audio/video engineers 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 audio/video engineers 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,488
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
14%
SAT average
1,531
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for audio/video engineers
The easiest schools for audio/video engineers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an audio/video engineer 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 audio/video engineers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
10. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
Average audio/video engineer salary by education level
| Audio/video engineer education level | Audio/video engineer salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $79,130 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $91,826 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $86,763 |
Audio/video engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025