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Audio/visual operator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an audio/visual operator. Audio/visual operators usually study communication, journalism, or business. 69% of audio/visual operators hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 111 real audio/visual operator resumes to see exactly what audio/visual operator education sections show.
The most common colleges for audio/visual operators are the University of the District of Columbia and the University of the District of Columbia.
There are also many online audio/visual operator courses to help get the education required to be an audio/visual operator.
What education do you need to become an audio/visual operator?
What degree do you need to be an audio/visual operator?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become an audio/visual operator?
- Communication, 10%
- Journalism, 10%
- Business, 8%
- Computer Science, 8%
- Other Majors, 64%
Most common colleges for audio/visual operators
| Audio/visual operator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of the District of Columbia | 8.33% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 8.33% |
| American University | 8.33% |
| The University of West Florida | 8.33% |
| Syracuse University | 4.17% |
Best majors for audio/visual operators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 10.2% |
| 2 | Journalism | 10.2% |
| 3 | Business | 8.2% |
| 4 | Computer Science | 8.2% |
| 5 | Photography | 6.1% |
Best colleges for audio/visual operators
The best colleges for audio/visual operators are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
An audio/visual operator 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/visual operators. 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/visual operators.
1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
10. Texas State University
San Marcos, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,280
Enrollment
34,187
20 best online courses for audio/visual operators
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Top 10 most affordable universities for audio/visual operators
The most affordable schools for audio/visual operators are Hunter College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for audio/visual operators 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/visual operators.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for audio/visual operators
The hardest universities for audio/visual operators to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for audio/visual operators 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/visual operators 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
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
14%
SAT average
1,531
8. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
9. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for audio/visual operators
The easiest schools for audio/visual operators to get into are Barry University, nyack college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an audio/visual operator 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/visual operators.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
5. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
9. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
Average audio/visual operator salary by education level
| Audio/visual operator education level | Audio/visual operator salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $40,976 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,643 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $45,036 |
Audio/visual operator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025