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Lighting specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a lighting specialist. Lighting specialists usually study business, interior design, or general studies. 53% of lighting specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 601 real lighting specialist resumes to see exactly what lighting specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for lighting specialists are the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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

There are certain lighting specialist certifications that you should consider. These lighting specialist certifications include Lighting Associate (LA) and ALA Lighting Specialist.

What education do you need to become a lighting specialist?

What degree do you need to be a lighting specialist?

The most common degree for lighting specialists is bachelor's degree, with 53% of lighting specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 24% and associate degree degree at 15%.
  • Bachelor's, 53%
  • Associate, 24%
  • High School Diploma, 15%
  • Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a lighting specialist?

You should major in business to become a lighting specialist. 22% of lighting specialists major in business. Other common majors for a lighting specialist include interior design and general studies.

Most common colleges for lighting specialists

Lighting specialists often get their degrees at University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Florida, and Full Sail University. Here are the most common colleges for lighting specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Lighting specialist common collegePercentages
University of Illinois at Chicago8.00%
University of Florida8.00%
Full Sail University8.00%
Ohio State University8.00%
Bowling Green State University8.00%

Best majors for lighting specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Business21.7%
2Interior Design11.8%
3General Studies8.0%
4Psychology5.2%
5Criminal Justice4.7%

Best colleges for lighting specialists

The best colleges for lighting specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A lighting 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 lighting 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 lighting specialists.

1. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

7. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

8. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

9. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,360

Enrollment

3,142

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

20 best online courses for lighting specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for lighting specialists

The most affordable schools for lighting specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for lighting 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 lighting 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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lighting specialists

The hardest universities for lighting specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for lighting 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 lighting 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

9. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

10. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lighting specialists

The easiest schools for lighting specialists to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and lim college.

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. Ursuline College

Pepper Pike, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,102

9. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

10. Cleary University

Howell, MI • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,039

Average lighting specialist salary by education level

Lighting specialists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $63,680 annually. With a Doctorate degree, lighting specialists earn a median annual income of $61,208 compared to $57,248 for lighting specialists with an Bachelor's degree.
Lighting specialist education levelLighting specialist salary
Master's Degree$63,680
High School Diploma or Less$43,694
Bachelor's Degree$57,248
Doctorate Degree$61,208
Some College/ Associate Degree$45,339

Lighting specialist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.