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Course developer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a course developer. Course developers usually study business, education, or psychology. 61% of course developers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,809 real course developer resumes to see exactly what course developer education sections show.
The most common colleges for course developers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online course developer courses to help get the education required to be a course developer.
There are certain course developer certifications that you should consider. These course developer certifications include Certified Instructional Technologist (CIT) and Certified Technical Professional (CTP).
What education do you need to become a course developer?
What degree do you need to be a course developer?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 10%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a course developer?
- Business, 16%
- Education, 9%
- Psychology, 9%
- English, 9%
- Other Majors, 57%
Most common colleges for course developers
| Course developer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.92% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.74% |
| American University | 6.74% |
| Florida International University | 5.70% |
| Walden University | 5.70% |
Best majors for course developers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 15.9% |
| 2 | Education | 9.4% |
| 3 | Psychology | 9.0% |
| 4 | English | 8.8% |
| 5 | Communication | 6.9% |
Best colleges for course developers
The best colleges for course developers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University.
A course developer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for course developers. 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 course developers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. Texas State University
San Marcos, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,280
Enrollment
34,187
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for course developers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for course developers
The most affordable schools for course developers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for course developers 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 course developers.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
5. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for course developers
The hardest universities for course developers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for course developers 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 course developers 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA • Private
Admissions rate
36%
SAT average
1,330
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for course developers
The easiest schools for course developers to get into are Barry University, ottawa university, and cardinal stritch university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a course developer 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 course developers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
3. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,080
10. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
Average course developer salary by education level
| Course developer education level | Course developer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $104,905 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $84,296 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $97,701 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $89,530 |
Course developer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025