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Digital specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a digital specialist. Digital specialists usually study graphic design, business, or communication. 64% of digital specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,433 real digital specialist resumes to see exactly what digital specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for digital specialists are the Arizona State University and the Arizona State University.
There are also many online digital specialist courses to help get the education required to be a digital specialist.
What education do you need to become a digital specialist?
What degree do you need to be a digital specialist?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a digital specialist?
- Graphic Design, 14%
- Business, 14%
- Communication, 11%
- Marketing, 8%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for digital specialists
| Digital specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Arizona State University | 13.42% |
| Columbia Basin College | 9.40% |
| Marshall University | 7.38% |
| Brigham Young University | 6.04% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 5.37% |
Best majors for digital specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 14.2% |
| 2 | Business | 13.6% |
| 3 | Communication | 11.4% |
| 4 | Marketing | 7.5% |
| 5 | Fine Arts | 5.2% |
Best colleges for digital specialists
The best colleges for digital specialists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A digital 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 digital 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 digital specialists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
5. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
7. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
20 best online courses for digital specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for digital specialists
The most affordable schools for digital specialists are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for digital 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 digital specialists.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for digital specialists
The hardest universities for digital specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for digital 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 digital 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for digital specialists
The easiest schools for digital specialists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a digital 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 digital specialists.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average digital specialist salary by education level
| Digital specialist education level | Digital specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $77,613 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,378 |
| Doctorate Degree | $78,737 |
Digital specialist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025