Database specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a database specialist. Database specialists usually study business, computer science, or computer information systems. 66% of database specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,305 real database specialist resumes to see exactly what database specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for database specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

What education do you need to become a database specialist?

What degree do you need to be a database specialist?

The most common degree for database specialists is bachelor's degree, with 66% of database specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 66%

Associate, 15%

Master's, 10%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a database specialist?

You should major in business to become a database specialist. 26% of database specialists major in business. Other common majors for a database specialist include computer science and computer information systems.

Business, 26%

Computer Science, 16%

Computer Information Systems, 8%

Accounting, 5%

Other Majors, 45%

Most common colleges for database specialists

Database specialists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for database specialists in the US based on their resumes.

Database specialist common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	13.54%
DeVry University	9.90%
University of Maryland - College Park	7.29%
Strayer University	6.25%
Pennsylvania State University	5.21%

Show more common database specialist colleges

Best majors for database specialists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	26.3%
2	Computer Science	16.1%
3	Computer Information Systems	7.9%
4	Accounting	5.1%
5	Marketing	4.4%

Show more common database specialist majors

Best colleges for database specialists

The best colleges for database specialists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A database 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 database 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 database specialists.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

20 best online courses for database specialists

Advertising disclosure

1. Relational Database Support for Data Warehouses

Relational Database Support for Data Warehouses is the third course in the Data Warehousing for Business Intelligence specialization. In this course, you'll use analytical elements of SQL for answering business intelligence questions. You'll learn features of relational database management systems for managing summary data commonly used in business intelligence reporting. Because of the importance and difficulty of managing implementations of data warehouses, we'll also delve into storage...

2. Data Warehousing with Oracle: Design a Database

This Guided Project Data Warehousing with Oracle: Design a Database for Business Intelligence is for learners who have database administration and data warehousing experience but want to learn more about designing databases and models for business intelligence. In this 1.5-hour long project-based course, you will learn how to evaluate the guiding principles of data warehousing, summarize data from multiple sources, and apply data warehouse business intelligence tools. To achieve this, we will...

3. Data Warehouse Developer-SQL Server/ETL/SSIS/SSAS/SSRS/T-SQL

4.3

(1,477)

Develop and Implement a Data Warehouse Solution Step by step...

4. Data Warehouse ETL Testing & Data Quality Management A-Z

4.4

(2,977)

ETL Testing and Data Quality Management for beginners with practical exercises and certificate of completion...

5. IBM Data Warehouse Engineer

Prepare for a career in the field of data warehousing. In this program, you’ll learn in-demand skills like SQL, Linux, and database architecture to get job-ready in less than 3 months.\n\nData warehouse engineers design and build large databases called data warehouses, used for data and business analytics. They work closely with data analysts, data scientists, and project management to power analysis that enable insights and inform decision-making.\n\nThis program will teach you the...

6. Data Engineering - ETL, Web Scraping ,Big Data,SQL,Power BI

4.2

(300)

Hands on Data Interaction using - ETL, Web Scraping ,Big Data,SQL,Power BI...

7. Implementing a Data Warehouse with SQL Server 2012

4.6

(2,088)

Implementing a Data Warehouse with SQL Server 2012 (Exam 70-463)...

8. Teradata SQL for Data Science and Data Analytics

4.5

(1,525)

A complete course on learning SQL using Teradata Database...

9. SQL Course 2023: SQL for Data Analysis and Data Science.

(894)

Master the Art of SQL Querying and Postgre SQL for Data Analysis and Data Science An using Real World SQL Database...

10. Data Analyst - ETL/SSIS/SQL/PowerBI

4.2

(350)

Learn to extract ,transform, and analyse data...

11. SQL Server Analysis Services - SSAS, Data Mining & Analytics

4.1

(1,296)

Develop SSAS cubes from data warehouse on Multidimensional & Tabular modes with Dimensional & Data Mining Models...

12. 70-462: SQL Server Database Administration (DBA)

4.6

(5,085)

Beginner-Intermediate practical experience in Database Administration (DBA) SQL Server. Was for Microsoft exam 70-462...

13. Complete Microsoft SQL Server Database Administration Course

4.5

(4,993)

Become SQL database certified (MCSA and MTA certification)...

14. Fundamentals of Data Analysis for Big Data

4.5

(270)

This course prepares participants to begin running data analysis on databases...

15. Complete Microsoft SQL Server Database Design Masterclass

4.6

(2,090)

Database Design SQL Server T-SQL Database Tables Foreign Keys SQL CRUD Views Triggers Stored Procedures...

16. Oracle Database Administrator DBA

4.5

(973)

Oracle Database Administration DBA become Oracle Database Administrator, Oracle DBA and get six figures jobs as DBA...

17. SQL Masterclass for Data Analysis with BigData

4.4

(495)

Master SQL queries and Become an In-demand SQL Professional. Also included - Data Analysis of Big Data with Big Query...

18. SQL for Beginners: Learn SQL using MySQL and Database Design

4.5

(47,964)

Understand SQL using the My SQL database. Learn Database Design and Data Analysis with Normalization and Relationships...

19. MySQL Database Administration: Beginner SQL Database Design

4.6

(2,750)

Learn Database Design with My SQL Workbench. SQL DBA for Beginners: A Relational Database Management System Introduction...

20. Data Analytics: Intro to SQL using Healthcare Data

4.6

(713)

Master SQL using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (Updated for 2023)...

Top 10 most affordable universities for database specialists

The most affordable schools for database specialists are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for database 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 database specialists.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

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 database specialists

The hardest universities for database specialists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for database 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 database 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

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

The easiest schools for database specialists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and nyack college.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

10. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

Average database specialist salary by education level

Database specialists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $89,916 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, database specialists earn a median annual income of $84,516 compared to $74,490 for database specialists with an Associate degree.

Database specialist education level	Database specialist salary
Master's Degree	$89,916
Bachelor's Degree	$84,516
Some College/ Associate Degree	$74,490

Database specialist education FAQs

What is the best college for Database Specialists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

Search for database specialist jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse computer and mathematical jobs