Hacker education requirements

Q: How do hackers learn to hack?

Hackers learn to hack by getting an education in cybersecurity, obtaining certifications, and getting jobs that require hacking capabilities. Here is more information on how hackers learn to hack:

Q: What degree do you need to be an ethical hacker?

You will need a bachelor's degree in computer engineering or a related field in order to be an ethical hacker. For the majority of ethical hackers, this is how they begin their careers, but it is not the only option. In some cases, sufficient experience may replace the requirement of specific coursework.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a hacker. Hackers usually study computer science, computer engineering, or finance. 44% of hackers hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 162 real hacker resumes to see exactly what hacker education sections show.

The most common colleges for hackers are the Stanford University and the Stanford University.

There are also many online hacker courses to help get the education required to be a hacker.

What education do you need to become a hacker?

What degree do you need to be a hacker?

The most common degree for hackers is bachelor's degree, with 44% of hackers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 28% and high school diploma degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 44%

High School Diploma, 28%

Associate, 9%

Master's, 8%

Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become a hacker?

You should major in computer science to become a hacker. 26% of hackers major in computer science. Other common majors for a hacker include computer engineering and finance.

Computer Science, 26%

Computer Engineering, 11%

Finance, 6%

Business, 6%

Other Majors, 51%

Most common colleges for hackers

Hackers often get their degrees at Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for hackers in the US based on their resumes.

Hacker common college	Percentages
Stanford University	10.34%
University of California, Berkeley	10.34%
University of Maryland - College Park	10.34%
University of California - Davis	6.90%
University of Texas at Austin	6.90%

Show more common hacker colleges

Best majors for hackers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	25.5%
2	Computer Engineering	10.6%
3	Finance	6.4%
4	Business	6.4%
5	Electrical Engineering	4.3%

Show more common hacker majors

Best colleges for hackers

The best colleges for hackers are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Duke University.

A hacker with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for hackers. 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 hackers.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

3. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

6. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

9. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for hackers

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Learn Ethical Web Hacking, Bug Bounty, Web Penetration, Penetration Testing and prevent vulnerabilities with this course...

4. Complete Web Application Hacking & Penetration Testing

4.6

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Hacking web applications, hacking websites, bug bounty & penetration testing in my ethical hacking course to be Hacker...

5. Intro to Cybersecurity

Get your start in the high growth field of Cybersecurity by building foundational skills in how to evaluate, maintain, and monitor the security of computer systems...

6. Security Analyst

Meet the growing demand for cybersecurity professionals by gaining the skills to protect an organization’s computer networks and systems...

7. Full Ethical Hacking & Penetration Testing Course Ethical

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Ethical Hacking, Penetration testing, Web hacking, Bug bounty, Metasploit, Security, more to be certified ethical hacker...

8. Ethical Hacking With Python, JavaScript and Kali Linux

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Become Ethical Hacker by building your own payloads with Python and Java Script. (Real World Attacks Included)...

9. Security Architect

Meet the growing demand for security architects and learn the skills required to advance your cybersecurity career. You will master the skills necessary to become a successful security architect. Learn core strategies and implementation elements of security infrastructure design and management at an enterprise level...

10. Enterprise Security

Meet the growing demand for enterprise security engineers and learn the foundational skills of security engineering within an enterprise setting...

11. Website Hacking & Penetration Testing (BUG BOUNTY)

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Practice Web Applications Hacking & Penetration Testing against a number of real world web applications/websites...

12. Free Hacking Tools for Penetration Testing & Ethical Hacking

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Learn hackers`Web Hacking, Network Scanning and Password Cracking tools such as Wireshark, Nmap, Metasploit, Maltego...

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Hack websites & web applications like black hat hackers and secure them like experts...

16. Scalable Web Applications with Python, Flask, and SQLAlchemy

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Learn to build scalable Python Web Applications with Flask, Postgre SQL, SQLAlchemy, git, and Heroku With Awesome Project...

17. Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking Complete Hands-on

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Ethical Hacking, Penetration Testing (Pentest+), Bug Bounty, Metasploit & Free Hacking Tools as Nmap for ethical hacker...

18. Learn Step by Step Web Hacking and Penetration Testing

4.5

(608)

You will learn hacking tools, methodologies and techniques and and learn how to secure them from these hackers...

19. The Complete Ethical Hacking Course 2.0: Python & Kali Linux

4.2

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Learn how to become an Ethical Hacker using Python and use Kali Linux to perform penetration testing on networks...

20. Web Hacking: Become a Professional Web Pentester

4.3

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Learn everything you need to execute web application security assessments as a professional ethical hacker...

Top 10 most affordable universities for hackers

The most affordable schools for hackers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for hackers 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 hackers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. 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

10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hackers

The hardest universities for hackers to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for hackers 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 hackers 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

10. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for hackers

The easiest schools for hackers to get into are Barry University, nyack college, and san francisco state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hacker 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 hackers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

6. University of Maine at Fort Kent

Fort Kent, ME • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

1,005

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

9. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

10. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

Average hacker salary by education level

According to our data, hackers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $101,716 annually. Hackers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $89,292.

Hacker education level	Hacker salary
Master's Degree	$101,716
Bachelor's Degree	$89,292
Some College/ Associate Degree	$71,599

Hacker education FAQs

How do hackers learn to hack?

What degree do you need to be an ethical hacker?

What is the best college for Hackers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

Search for hacker jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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