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Economic development specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an economic development specialist. Economic development specialists usually study business, psychology, or criminal justice. 61% of economic development specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,504 real economic development specialist resumes to see exactly what economic development specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for economic development specialists are the University of South Florida and the University of South Florida.
There are also many online economic development specialist courses to help get the education required to be an economic development specialist.
There are certain economic development specialist certifications that you should consider. These economic development specialist certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.
What education do you need to become an economic development specialist?
What degree do you need to be an economic development specialist?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 15%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an economic development specialist?
- Business, 22%
- Psychology, 13%
- Criminal Justice, 10%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for economic development specialists
| Economic development specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of South Florida | 16.47% |
| Florida State University | 12.72% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.67% |
| Florida International University | 8.09% |
| University of Florida | 7.80% |
Best majors for economic development specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 22.5% |
| 2 | Psychology | 13.0% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 9.7% |
| 4 | Political Science | 6.2% |
| 5 | Economics | 5.3% |
Best colleges for economic development specialists
The best colleges for economic development specialists are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston University.
An economic development 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 economic development 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 economic development specialists.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
10. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
20 best online courses for economic development specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for economic development specialists
The most affordable schools for economic development specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for economic development 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 economic development specialists.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
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 economic development specialists
The hardest universities for economic development specialists to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for economic development 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 economic development 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for economic development specialists
The easiest schools for economic development specialists to get into are Barry University, kean university, and cardinal stritch university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an economic development 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 economic development specialists.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
4. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average economic development specialist salary by education level
| Economic development specialist education level | Economic development specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $62,762 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $46,444 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,906 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $50,460 |
Economic development specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025