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Broadcast technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a broadcast technician. Broadcast technicians usually study communication, photography, or electrical engineering. 64% of broadcast technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 727 real broadcast technician resumes to see exactly what broadcast technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for broadcast technicians are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.

There are also many online broadcast technician courses to help get the education required to be a broadcast technician.

What education do you need to become a broadcast technician?

What degree do you need to be a broadcast technician?

The most common degree for broadcast technicians is bachelor's degree, with 64% of broadcast technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 64%
  • Associate, 19%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a broadcast technician?

You should major in communication to become a broadcast technician. 26% of broadcast technicians major in communication. Other common majors for a broadcast technician include photography and electrical engineering.

Most common colleges for broadcast technicians

Broadcast technicians often get their degrees at Full Sail University, Temple University, and University of Central Florida. Here are the most common colleges for broadcast technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Broadcast technician common collegePercentages
Full Sail University18.29%
Temple University7.32%
University of Central Florida7.32%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro7.32%
Howard University6.10%

Best majors for broadcast technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication26.3%
2Photography14.9%
3Electrical Engineering8.8%
4Digital Media6.4%
5Business5.8%

Best colleges for broadcast technicians

The best colleges for broadcast technicians are Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A broadcast technician 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 technicians. 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 technicians.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

9. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

10. Lawrence Technological University

Southfield, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$33,570

Enrollment

1,991

20 best online courses for broadcast technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for broadcast technicians

The most affordable schools for broadcast technicians are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for broadcast technicians 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 technicians.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. 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

9. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for broadcast technicians

The hardest universities for broadcast technicians to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for broadcast technicians 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 technicians 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for broadcast technicians

The easiest schools for broadcast technicians to get into are Barry 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 technician 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 technicians.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

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. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

8. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

9. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

10. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

Average broadcast technician salary by education level

According to our data, broadcast technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $40,073 annually. Broadcast technicians with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $37,920.
Broadcast technician education levelBroadcast technician salary
High School Diploma or Less$34,667
Bachelor's Degree$40,073
Some College/ Associate Degree$37,920

Broadcast technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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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