Media developer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a media developer. Media developers usually study graphic design, communication, or computer science. 71% of media developers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 716 real media developer resumes to see exactly what media developer education sections show.

The most common colleges for media developers are the George Mason University and the George Mason University.

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

What education do you need to become a media developer?

What degree do you need to be a media developer?

The most common degree for media developers is bachelor's degree, with 71% of media developers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 71%

Associate, 14%

Master's, 10%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a media developer?

You should major in graphic design to become a media developer. 13% of media developers major in graphic design. Other common majors for a media developer include communication and computer science.

Graphic Design, 13%

Communication, 13%

Computer Science, 12%

Fine Arts, 10%

Other Majors, 52%

Most common colleges for media developers

Media developers often get their degrees at George Mason University, Syracuse University, and Indiana University Bloomington. Here are the most common colleges for media developers in the US based on their resumes.

Media developer common college	Percentages
George Mason University	8.75%
Syracuse University	6.25%
Indiana University Bloomington	6.25%
Brigham Young University	6.25%
Pennsylvania State University	6.25%

Show more common media developer colleges

Best majors for media developers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Graphic Design	13.2%
2	Communication	12.9%
3	Computer Science	12.1%
4	Fine Arts	10.4%
5	Business	9.0%

Show more common media developer majors

Best colleges for media developers

The best colleges for media developers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

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

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for media developers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for media developers

The most affordable schools for media developers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for media developers 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 media developers.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

5. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for media developers

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

Some great schools for media developers 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 media developers 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for media developers

The easiest schools for media developers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a media developer 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 media developers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

5. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average media developer salary by education level

Media developers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $68,013 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, media developers earn a median annual income of $64,406 compared to $61,458 for media developers with an Associate degree.

Media developer education level	Media developer salary
Master's Degree	$68,013
Bachelor's Degree	$64,406
Some College/ Associate Degree	$61,458

Media developer education FAQs

What is the best college for Media Developers?

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

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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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