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Curriculum developer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a curriculum developer. Curriculum developers usually study business, education, or english. 61% of curriculum developers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 6,477 real curriculum developer resumes to see exactly what curriculum developer education sections show.
The most common colleges for curriculum developers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online curriculum developer courses to help get the education required to be a curriculum developer.
There are certain curriculum developer certifications that you should consider. These curriculum developer certifications include Certified Instructional Technologist (CIT) and Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE).
What education do you need to become a curriculum developer?
What degree do you need to be a curriculum developer?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 9%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a curriculum developer?
- Business, 14%
- Education, 10%
- English, 9%
- Psychology, 9%
- Other Majors, 58%
Most common colleges for curriculum developers
| Curriculum developer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 16.40% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 7.88% |
| American University | 5.79% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.63% |
| Brigham Young University | 5.47% |
Best majors for curriculum developers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 14.1% |
| 2 | Education | 10.2% |
| 3 | English | 9.1% |
| 4 | Psychology | 8.9% |
| 5 | Elementary Education | 8.2% |
Best colleges for curriculum developers
The best colleges for curriculum developers are University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and New York University.
A curriculum 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 curriculum 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 curriculum developers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
8. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
10. University of Maryland - Baltimore County
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$11,778
Enrollment
11,156
20 best online courses for curriculum developers
Advertising disclosure
1. Intuitive Curriculum Development: Make it Easy to Understand
A Time-Tested and Research Based Approach To Making Difficult Concepts Easy To Understand...
2. Instructional Design Pro (Part 1): No Beginners Allowed!
Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...
3. Instructional Design Pro (Part 3): No Beginners Allowed!
Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...
4. Instructional Design for Corporate Learning and Development
Giving you the tools to design and deliver on-point, effective corporate training programs...
5. Instructional Design for Classroom Training
Design effective and engaging in-person classroom training sessions and learning experiences from scratch...
6. Instructional Design Pro (Part 2): No Beginners Allowed!
Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...
7. Instructional Design for ELearning
Designing Successful ELearning Courses. Learn from a multi-award-winning instructional designer...
8. The complete Instructional Designer course
Learn the skills to become an e Learning Instructional Designer for Corporate Learning and Development...
9. Introduction to Learning and Development
Become a confident people development practitioner and knowledgeable in Human Resource Development...
10. Salesforce Development Training for Beginners
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12. Complete CFA Level I - 2016 curriculum
Bring the 2016 Level I curriculum readings to life with expert prep provider, Fitch Learning...
13. Ultimate Web Designer & Web Developer Course
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20. The Complete Android 13 App Development Bootcamp 2023
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Top 10 most affordable universities for curriculum developers
The most affordable schools for curriculum developers are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and university of houston - victoria.
If the best universities for curriculum 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 curriculum developers.
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. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
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 curriculum developers
The hardest universities for curriculum developers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and New York University.
Some great schools for curriculum 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 curriculum 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for curriculum developers
The easiest schools for curriculum developers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, d'youville college, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a curriculum 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 curriculum developers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
Average curriculum developer salary by education level
| Curriculum developer education level | Curriculum developer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,823 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,573 |
| Doctorate Degree | $62,002 |
Curriculum developer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025