Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Media producer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a media producer. Media producers usually study communication, photography, or journalism. 79% of media producers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,365 real media producer resumes to see exactly what media producer education sections show.
The most common colleges for media producers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online media producer courses to help get the education required to be a media producer.
What education do you need to become a media producer?
What degree do you need to be a media producer?
- Bachelor's, 79%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 7%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a media producer?
- Communication, 21%
- Photography, 17%
- Journalism, 12%
- Fine Arts, 6%
- Other Majors, 44%
Most common colleges for media producers
| Media producer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 10.56% |
| University of Washington | 9.44% |
| San Francisco State University | 6.67% |
| Columbia College Chicago | 6.11% |
| Full Sail University | 6.11% |
Best majors for media producers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 20.6% |
| 2 | Photography | 16.8% |
| 3 | Journalism | 11.6% |
| 4 | Fine Arts | 5.8% |
| 5 | Digital Media | 5.7% |
Best colleges for media producers
The best colleges for media producers are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A media producer 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 producers. 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 producers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
20 best online courses for media producers
Advertising disclosure
1. Learning Final Cut Pro X - Video Editing Mastery
Learning Final Cut Pro X. A detailed course aimed at teaching users how to use FCP X on the Mavericks or Yosemite OS...
2. Final Cut Pro X Tutorial
Learn how to edit video in Final Cut Pro X...
3. Digital Design Masterclass For Graphic Designers
Icon Set Design, E-book cover, Digitizing Sketches, Social Media Design, Wordpress Web Design, Adobe Xd, GIFS and more!...
4. The Complete Final Cut Pro X Video Editing Crash Course
In this Final Cut Pro X Video Editing Course you will go from beginner to pro in under 4 hours! Filmmaking & Video Prod...
5. Social Media Film School: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube & AI
4-in-1 Course + Chat GPT to Supercharge Your Videography, Video Editing & Social Media Content Chat GPT 4 & Filmmaking...
6. Graphic Design Masterclass: Design 40+ Projects in Photoshop
Use Photoshop to create YT thumbnails, banners, catalogues, Instagram & Facebook Graphics, Cards, CV, Newsletters & more...
7. The Complete Final Cut Pro X Course Beginner To Intermediate
Learn how to edit videos using Final Cut Pro X with easy-to-follow Final Cut Pro tutorials From Beginner to Intermediate...
8. Graphic Design Mastery: The FULL Branding & Design Process
Follows the FULL Graphic Design Process for A Company: Logo, Ad, Social Media, T-Shirt, Package, Website Design & More!...
9. Complete Graphics Design and Video Editing Masterclass
Combo Course of Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Adobe Photoshop CC for Learning Video Editing and Graphics Design...
10. Social Media Marketing - Content Marketing Masterclass
Online Digital Marketing / Social Media Strategy For Beginners - Posts / Blogs / Podcasts / Video / Google Local SEO...
11. Photoshop CC for Beginners: Adobe Photoshop Course
This Adobe Photoshop CC course will teach you the basics of Photoshop for web design, graphic design, photography & more...
12. Video Editing in Final Cut Pro: Learn the Basics in 1 Hour
Learn editing with Final Cut Pro in the shortest time. Perfect for the beginning editor or new content creator...
13. YouTube Creator Course: Audio & Video Production for Youtube
Make Professional Youtube Videos at home - Video Production, Audio Production, OBS Screencasting, Premiere Pro + Editing...
14. 47 Graphic Design Projects for Photoshop Beginners
Photoshop graphic design for beginners! Includes 47 Photoshop projects for your graphic design portfolio...
15. The Shorts Film School: YouTube, Instagram Reels, TikTok+
Easy Step-by-step guide to making Social Media Videos: Shorts, Reels & Stories for You Tube, Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok...
16. Adobe Photoshop Projects
Everything you need to know about to Build Projects Using Adobe Photoshop 2022...
17. Design stunning Social Media Marketing Images with Photoshop
Learn how to design + 17 stunning social media images with Photoshop CC for your Social Networks. For Beginners...
18. Web Design Responsive Website Template from Scratch HTML CSS
Build your own website from scratch Web Design how to build a simple website template from scratch using HTML and CSS...
19. Social Media Content Creation: Canva Beginner to Advanced
Using Canva you'll learn to design incredible graphics, videos, and more for use in your social media marketing in 2023!...
20. 27 Photoshop CC Projects + 547 Photoshop Essentials Template
Photoshop for busy business owners, includes 27 projects, 547 Photoshop essentials templates or learn tocreate your own...
Top 10 most affordable universities for media producers
The most affordable schools for media producers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for media producers 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 producers.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
8. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
10. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for media producers
The hardest universities for media producers to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for media producers 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 producers 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for media producers
The easiest schools for media producers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and grand view university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a media producer 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 producers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
4. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
Average media producer salary by education level
| Media producer education level | Media producer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,166 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,393 |
Media producer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
Search for media producer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025