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Casting assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a casting assistant. Casting assistants usually study photography, communication, or theatre. 80% of casting assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,327 real casting assistant resumes to see exactly what casting assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for casting assistants are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.

There are also many online casting assistant courses to help get the education required to be a casting assistant.

What education do you need to become a casting assistant?

What degree do you need to be a casting assistant?

The most common degree for casting assistants is bachelor's degree, with 80% of casting assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 9% and associate degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 80%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Master's, 6%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a casting assistant?

You should major in photography to become a casting assistant. 21% of casting assistants major in photography. Other common majors for a casting assistant include communication and theatre.

Most common colleges for casting assistants

Casting assistants often get their degrees at Full Sail University, New York University, and Syracuse University. Here are the most common colleges for casting assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Casting assistant common collegePercentages
Full Sail University11.22%
New York University9.18%
Syracuse University7.14%
University of Central Florida6.63%
University of California - Davis6.63%

Best majors for casting assistants

RankMajorPercentages
1Photography21.4%
2Communication19.3%
3Theatre10.6%
4Business6.0%
5Fine Arts4.2%

Best colleges for casting assistants

The best colleges for casting assistants are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A casting assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for casting assistants. 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 casting assistants.

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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

20 best online courses for casting assistants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for casting assistants

The most affordable schools for casting assistants are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for casting assistants 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 casting assistants.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

9. 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

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for casting assistants

The hardest universities for casting assistants to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for casting assistants 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 casting assistants 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

14%

SAT average

1,531

7. Hamilton College

Clinton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

21%

SAT average

1,446

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for casting assistants

The easiest schools for casting assistants to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a casting assistant 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 casting assistants.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average casting assistant salary by education level

According to our data, casting assistants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $34,646 annually. Casting assistants with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $32,117.
Casting assistant education levelCasting assistant salary
Master's Degree$34,646
Bachelor's Degree$32,117

Casting assistant 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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