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Digital archivist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a digital archivist. Digital archivists usually study photography, fine arts, or history. 66% of digital archivists hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 316 real digital archivist resumes to see exactly what digital archivist education sections show.

The most common colleges for digital archivists are the Hampshire College and the Hampshire College.

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

What education do you need to become a digital archivist?

What degree do you need to be a digital archivist?

The most common degree for digital archivists is bachelor's degree, with 66% of digital archivists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 66%
  • Master's, 22%
  • Associate, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 3%

What should I major in to become a digital archivist?

You should major in photography to become a digital archivist. 15% of digital archivists major in photography. Other common majors for a digital archivist include fine arts and history.

Most common colleges for digital archivists

Digital archivists often get their degrees at Hampshire College, Indiana University South Bend, and Rowan University. Here are the most common colleges for digital archivists in the US based on their resumes.
Digital archivist common collegePercentages
Hampshire College6.67%
Indiana University South Bend6.67%
Rowan University6.67%
University of Texas at Austin6.67%
Pratt Institute6.67%

Best majors for digital archivists

RankMajorPercentages
1Photography14.8%
2Fine Arts13.6%
3History8.6%
4English8.6%
5Graphic Design7.4%

Best colleges for digital archivists

The best colleges for digital archivists are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

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

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for digital archivists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for digital archivists

The most affordable schools for digital archivists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and florida state university.

If the best universities for digital archivists 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 digital archivists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

9. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for digital archivists

The hardest universities for digital archivists to get into are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for digital archivists 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 digital archivists 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

9. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for digital archivists

The easiest schools for digital archivists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a digital archivist 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 digital archivists.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

6. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

Average digital archivist salary by education level

According to our data, digital archivists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $59,883 annually. Digital archivists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $49,105.
Digital archivist education levelDigital archivist salary
Master's Degree$59,883
Bachelor's Degree$49,105

Digital archivist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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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