Demographer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a demographer. Demographers usually study biology, sociology, or business. 54% of demographers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 49 real demographer resumes to see exactly what demographer education sections show.

The most common colleges for demographers are the Florida State University and the Florida State University.

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

What education do you need to become a demographer?

What degree do you need to be a demographer?

The most common degree for demographers is bachelor's degree, with 54% of demographers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 54%

Master's, 19%

Diploma, 8%

Associate, 4%

Other Degrees, 15%

What should I major in to become a demographer?

You should major in biology to become a demographer. 8% of demographers major in biology. Other common majors for a demographer include sociology and business.

Biology, 8%

Sociology, 8%

Business, 8%

Economics, 8%

Other Majors, 68%

Most common colleges for demographers

Demographers often get their degrees at Florida State University, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and Louisiana State University and A&M; College. Here are the most common colleges for demographers in the US based on their resumes.

Demographer common college	Percentages
Florida State University	10.53%
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs	10.53%
Louisiana State University and A&M College	5.26%
University of Miami	5.26%
Lafayette College	5.26%

Show more common demographer colleges

Best majors for demographers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Biology	7.7%
2	Sociology	7.7%
3	Business	7.7%
4	Economics	7.7%
5	Demography And Population Studies	7.7%

Show more common demographer majors

Best colleges for demographers

The best colleges for demographers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University.

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

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for demographers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for demographers

The most affordable schools for demographers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for demographers 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 demographers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for demographers

The hardest universities for demographers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University.

Some great schools for demographers 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 demographers 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for demographers

The easiest schools for demographers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, felician university, and d'youville college.

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

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average demographer salary by education level

According to our data, demographers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $78,771 annually. Demographers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $76,932.

Demographer education level	Demographer salary
Master's Degree	$76,932
Bachelor's Degree	$68,512
Doctorate Degree	$78,771

Demographer education FAQs

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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.

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