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Broadcast engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a broadcast engineer. Broadcast engineers usually study electrical engineering, electrical engineering technology, or communication. 54% of broadcast engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,456 real broadcast engineer resumes to see exactly what broadcast engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for broadcast engineers are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.
There are also many online broadcast engineer courses to help get the education required to be a broadcast engineer.
There are certain broadcast engineer certifications that you should consider. These broadcast engineer certifications include Certified Audio Engineer (CEA) and Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma).
What education do you need to become a broadcast engineer?
What degree do you need to be a broadcast engineer?
- Bachelor's, 54%
- Associate, 31%
- Master's, 4%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a broadcast engineer?
- Communication, 12%
- Photography, 6%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for broadcast engineers
| Broadcast engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Full Sail University | 16.36% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 8.18% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.27% |
| Ithaca College | 5.45% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 5.45% |
Best majors for broadcast engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 26.0% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 12.7% |
| 3 | Communication | 11.9% |
| 4 | Photography | 6.4% |
| 5 | Journalism | 5.6% |
Best colleges for broadcast engineers
The best colleges for broadcast engineers are Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A broadcast 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 broadcast 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 broadcast engineers.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. Lawrence Technological University
Southfield, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$33,570
Enrollment
1,991
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Enrollment
4,169
10. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
20 best online courses for broadcast engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for broadcast engineers
The most affordable schools for broadcast engineers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for broadcast 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 broadcast engineers.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for broadcast engineers
The hardest universities for broadcast engineers to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for broadcast 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 broadcast 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for broadcast engineers
The easiest schools for broadcast engineers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, kean university, and oregon institute of technology.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a broadcast 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 broadcast engineers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
4. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
5. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona
Altoona, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,094
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
8. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,068
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average broadcast engineer salary by education level
| Broadcast engineer education level | Broadcast engineer salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $66,752 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $74,519 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $71,458 |
Broadcast engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025