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Freelancer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a freelancer. Freelancers usually study graphic design, communication, or journalism. 69% of freelancers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 6,879 real freelancer resumes to see exactly what freelancer education sections show.
The most common colleges for freelancers are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
There are also many online freelancer courses to help get the education required to be a freelancer.
What education do you need to become a freelancer?
What degree do you need to be a freelancer?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Associate, 12%
- Master's, 11%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a freelancer?
- Graphic Design, 15%
- Communication, 12%
- Journalism, 9%
- Business, 9%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for freelancers
| Freelancer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 12.05% |
| New York University | 8.43% |
| Full Sail University | 6.63% |
| School of Visual Arts | 6.43% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 6.22% |
Best majors for freelancers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 14.9% |
| 2 | Communication | 11.9% |
| 3 | Journalism | 9.0% |
| 4 | Business | 8.8% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 6.9% |
Best colleges for freelancers
The best colleges for freelancers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.
A freelancer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for freelancers. 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 freelancers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
20 best online courses for freelancers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for freelancers
The most affordable schools for freelancers are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for freelancers 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 freelancers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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 freelancers
The hardest universities for freelancers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for freelancers 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 freelancers 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for freelancers
The easiest schools for freelancers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a freelancer 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 freelancers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
10. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
Average freelancer salary by education level
| Freelancer education level | Freelancer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $71,200 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $64,807 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $57,685 |
Freelancer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025