Imagery analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an imagery analyst. Imagery analysts usually study intelligence operations, business, or geography. 56% of imagery analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,246 real imagery analyst resumes to see exactly what imagery analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for imagery analysts are the American University and the American University.

There are also many online imagery analyst courses to help get the education required to be an imagery analyst.

What education do you need to become an imagery analyst?

What degree do you need to be an imagery analyst?

The most common degree for imagery analysts is bachelor's degree, with 56% of imagery analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 56%

Associate, 29%

High School Diploma, 8%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become an imagery analyst?

You should major in intelligence operations to become an imagery analyst. 16% of imagery analysts major in intelligence operations. Other common majors for an imagery analyst include business and geography.

Intelligence Operations, 16%

Business, 12%

Geography, 9%

Criminal Justice, 7%

Other Majors, 56%

Most common colleges for imagery analysts

Imagery analysts often get their degrees at American University, University of Phoenix, and Excelsior College. Here are the most common colleges for imagery analysts in the US based on their resumes.

Imagery analyst common college	Percentages
American University	38.35%
University of Phoenix	10.68%
Excelsior College	4.37%
Saint Leo University	4.37%
Troy University	3.88%

Show more common imagery analyst colleges

Best majors for imagery analysts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Intelligence Operations	15.6%
2	Business	11.8%
3	Geography	9.2%
4	Criminal Justice	7.4%
5	Communications Technology	7.3%

Show more common imagery analyst majors

Best colleges for imagery analysts

The best colleges for imagery analysts are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

An imagery analyst with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for imagery analysts. 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 imagery analysts.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. York College of Pennsylvania

York, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$20,100

Enrollment

3,960

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Webster University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$27,900

Enrollment

2,958

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Mercyhurst University

Erie, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$37,170

Enrollment

2,374

8. Point Park University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$31,450

Enrollment

3,170

9. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

20 best online courses for imagery analysts

Advertising disclosure

1. Tableau Business Intelligence Analyst

Whether you are just starting out or looking for a career change, the Tableau Business Intelligence Analytics Professional Certificate will prepare you for entry-level roles that require fundamental Tableau skills, such as business intelligence analyst roles. If you are detail-oriented and have an interest in looking for trends in data, this program is for you. Through hands-on, real-world scenarios, you learn how to use the Tableau platform to evaluate data to generate and present actionable...

2. Level 1 Intelligence Analyst Certification

4.5

(9,727)

Training in Critical Thinking & Descriptive Intelligence Analysis...

3. Level 2 Intelligence Analyst Certification

4.5

(2,527)

Training for Explanative Intelligence Analysis...

4. Advanced Tableau for Business Intelligence & Data Analysis

4.6

(940)

Build expert-level Tableau skills with real-world business intelligence & data visualization projects (Tableau 2020.2+)...

5. Level 3 Intelligence Analyst Certification

4.5

(1,178)

Predictive Intelligence Analysis...

6. SAP BI /SAP Business Objects Web Intelligence

4.2

(898)

SAP BO 4.1 Web Intelligence course gives you the comprehensive reporting knowledge and real-project perspective !...

7. The Business Intelligence Analyst Course 2023

4.6

(43,085)

The skills you need to become a BI Analyst - Statistics, Database theory, SQL, Tableau – Everything is included...

8. MicroStrategy for Business Intelligence

4.2

(343)

Comprehensive course on Micro Strategy Desktop and Web Dashboards...

9. Communication Skills: Emotional Intelligence Coaching

4.4

(627)

Coaching Communication with Emotional Intelligence: Enhancing Skills Developing Strong Relationships Build Success...

10. Python Foundations for Data Analysis & Business Intelligence

4.6

(879)

Master the building blocks of base Python for data analysis & BI, with hands-on demos & unique, real-world projects!...

11. Intelligence Analysis (Comprehensive - Levels 1, 2 and 3)

4.7

(506)

A comprehensive course on intelligence analysis covering levels 1, 2 and 3...

12. Create Beautiful Imagery with Midjourney A.I.

4.7

(877)

The Everyone's guide on making A.I. Images with Midjourney and more!...

13. Business Data Analytics & Intelligence with Python 2023

4.7

(292)

Become a Business Data Analyst. Learn Python, Statistics, and Data Analytics using the latest industry tools...

14. Excel Data Analytics in AML Financial Intelligence Analysis

4.5

(1,254)

Applying Excel Data Analytics in Anti-Money Laundering/Combating Financing of Terrorism Analysis & Investigations...

15. Business Communication Skills: EQ Intelligent Interactions

4.8

(273)

Elevate Your Business Communication Skills for Success. Learn to Master the Art of Emotionally Intelligent Interactions...

16. Tableau Prep for Business Intelligence

4.7

(804)

Learn how to use Tableau Prep & Tableau Prep Builder to clean, shape and prepare data for analysis & visualization...

17. Learn SSRS SQL Reporting & Business Intelligence Essentials

4.3

(1,080)

SQL Reporting using SSRS gives you hands-on knowledge to make great SQL reports with Business Intelligence essentials...

18. An Introduction to Emotional Intelligence

4.3

(4,206)

Discovering Emotional Intelligence The Secrets of Emotional Intelligence Manage Emotions Enhancing Relationships...

19. SQL for Data Analysis: Beginner MySQL Business Intelligence

4.7

(8,345)

Learn SQL database querying w/ My SQL Workbench. Perfect for SQL beginners and first-time coders...

20. Become a Data Analyst - (Python, Excel, SQL, Power BI )

4.3

(555)

Get Real World Data Analyst Skills with Hands-on Practice...

Top 10 most affordable universities for imagery analysts

The most affordable schools for imagery analysts are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for imagery analysts 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 imagery analysts.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

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 - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for imagery analysts

The hardest universities for imagery analysts to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for imagery analysts 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 imagery analysts 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for imagery analysts

The easiest schools for imagery analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an imagery analyst 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 imagery analysts.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average imagery analyst salary by education level

Imagery analysts with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $68,808 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, imagery analysts earn a median annual income of $66,174 compared to $57,231 for imagery analysts with an Associate degree.

Imagery analyst education level	Imagery analyst salary
Master's Degree	$68,808
High School Diploma or Less	$53,784
Bachelor's Degree	$66,174
Some College/ Associate Degree	$57,231

Imagery analyst education FAQs

What is the best college for Imagery Analysts?

Have more questions? See all answers to common protective service questions.

Search for imagery analyst 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

Browse protective service jobs