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Curriculum specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a curriculum specialist. Curriculum specialists usually study elementary education, education, or educational leadership. 57% of curriculum specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,689 real curriculum specialist resumes to see exactly what curriculum specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for curriculum specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online curriculum specialist courses to help get the education required to be a curriculum specialist.
There are certain curriculum specialist certifications that you should consider. These curriculum specialist certifications include Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) and Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:).
What education do you need to become a curriculum specialist?
What degree do you need to be a curriculum specialist?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Master's, 31%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a curriculum specialist?
- Elementary Education, 17%
- Education, 16%
- English, 7%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for curriculum specialists
| Curriculum specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 13.97% |
| Walden University | 8.73% |
| Ashford University | 5.68% |
| University of South Florida | 5.24% |
| Arizona State University | 5.24% |
Best majors for curriculum specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementary Education | 16.7% |
| 2 | Education | 15.6% |
| 3 | Educational Leadership | 9.7% |
| 4 | English | 6.6% |
| 5 | Early Childhood Education | 6.1% |
Best colleges for curriculum specialists
The best colleges for curriculum specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.
A curriculum 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 curriculum 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 curriculum specialists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
20 best online courses for curriculum specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for curriculum specialists
The most affordable schools for curriculum specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for curriculum 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 curriculum 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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for curriculum specialists
The hardest universities for curriculum specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for curriculum 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 curriculum 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. 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. 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for curriculum specialists
The easiest schools for curriculum specialists to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and curry college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a curriculum 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 curriculum specialists.
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. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average curriculum specialist salary by education level
| Curriculum specialist education level | Curriculum specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $56,258 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,419 |
| Doctorate Degree | $57,991 |
Curriculum specialist 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