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Docent education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a docent. Docents usually study fine arts, history, or biology. 72% of docents hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,823 real docent resumes to see exactly what docent education sections show.
The most common colleges for docents are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online docent courses to help get the education required to be a docent.
What education do you need to become a docent?
What degree do you need to be a docent?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a docent?
Most common colleges for docents
| Docent common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 9.61% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 9.17% |
| University of California - Davis | 8.73% |
| New York University | 6.99% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 6.11% |
Best majors for docents
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fine Arts | 18.8% |
| 2 | History | 18.3% |
| 3 | Biology | 8.2% |
| 4 | English | 6.3% |
| 5 | Psychology | 5.7% |
Best colleges for docents
The best colleges for docents are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Yale University.
A docent with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for docents. 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 docents.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
7. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
8. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for docents
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Top 10 most affordable universities for docents
The most affordable schools for docents are Hunter College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for docents 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 docents.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
6. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
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 docents
The hardest universities for docents to get into are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Yale University.
Some great schools for docents 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 docents 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
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for docents
The easiest schools for docents to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a docent 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 docents.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
Average docent salary by education level
| Docent education level | Docent salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $41,549 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,974 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $48,137 |
Docent education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025