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Content specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a content specialist. Content specialists usually study communication, english, or business. 76% of content specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,792 real content specialist resumes to see exactly what content specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for content specialists are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online content specialist courses to help get the education required to be a content specialist.

What education do you need to become a content specialist?

What degree do you need to be a content specialist?

The most common degree for content specialists is bachelor's degree, with 76% of content specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 76%
  • Master's, 13%
  • Associate, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a content specialist?

You should major in communication to become a content specialist. 17% of content specialists major in communication. Other common majors for a content specialist include english and business.

Most common colleges for content specialists

Content specialists often get their degrees at New York University, University of California - Davis, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for content specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Content specialist common collegePercentages
New York University7.61%
University of California - Davis7.27%
University of Phoenix6.92%
University of Washington5.54%
Michigan State University5.19%

Best majors for content specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication17.4%
2English12.2%
3Business11.6%
4Journalism11.1%
5Marketing5.1%

Best colleges for content specialists

The best colleges for content specialists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

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

1. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

4. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

20 best online courses for content specialists

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7. Digital Marketing (Part Time)

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8. Intro to Data Analytics

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15. Viral Blogging 101: Blogging & Content Writing Masterclass

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17. Data Visualization

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19. Content Writing Secrets: Complete Guide to Content Marketing

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20. How To Create High-Quality Blog Content That Gets Shared

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Top 10 most affordable universities for content specialists

The most affordable schools for content specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for content specialists 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 content specialists.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for content specialists

The hardest universities for content specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for content specialists 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 content specialists 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for content specialists

The easiest schools for content specialists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a content specialist 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 content specialists.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average content specialist salary by education level

Content specialists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $73,029 annually. With a Master's degree, content specialists earn a median annual income of $72,605 compared to $66,893 for content specialists with an Bachelor's degree.
Content specialist education levelContent specialist salary
Master's Degree$72,605
Bachelor's Degree$66,893
Doctorate Degree$73,029

Content specialist 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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