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Digital imager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a digital imager. Digital imagers usually study photography, business, or fine arts. 59% of digital imagers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 171 real digital imager resumes to see exactly what digital imager education sections show.
The most common colleges for digital imagers are the University of Maryland - Eastern Shore and the University of Maryland - Eastern Shore.
There are also many online digital imager courses to help get the education required to be a digital imager.
What education do you need to become a digital imager?
What degree do you need to be a digital imager?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Associate, 20%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a digital imager?
- Photography, 18%
- Business, 11%
- Fine Arts, 11%
- Graphic Design, 7%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for digital imagers
| Digital imager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Maryland - Eastern Shore | 10.34% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 10.34% |
| University of Houston | 6.90% |
| Ramapo College of New Jersey | 6.90% |
| University of Central Oklahoma | 6.90% |
Best majors for digital imagers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 18.3% |
| 2 | Business | 11.0% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 11.0% |
| 4 | Graphic Design | 7.3% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering | 6.1% |
Best colleges for digital imagers
The best colleges for digital imagers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Yale University.
A digital imager 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 imagers. 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 imagers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for digital imagers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for digital imagers
The most affordable schools for digital imagers are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for digital imagers 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 imagers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for digital imagers
The hardest universities for digital imagers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Yale University.
Some great schools for digital imagers 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 imagers 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for digital imagers
The easiest schools for digital imagers to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a digital imager 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 imagers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
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. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average digital imager salary by education level
| Digital imager education level | Digital imager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $58,582 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,128 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $50,276 |
Digital imager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025