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Mixing engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a mixing engineer. Mixing engineers usually study music, audiovisual communications technologies, or engineering. 59% of mixing engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 829 real mixing engineer resumes to see exactly what mixing engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for mixing engineers are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.

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

What education do you need to become a mixing engineer?

What degree do you need to be a mixing engineer?

The most common degree for mixing engineers is bachelor's degree, with 59% of mixing engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 26% and associate degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 59%
  • Associate, 26%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Master's, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a mixing engineer?

You should major in music to become a mixing engineer. 30% of mixing engineers major in music. Other common majors for a mixing engineer include audiovisual communications technologies and engineering.

Most common colleges for mixing engineers

Mixing engineers often get their degrees at Full Sail University, Berklee College of Music, and Miami Dade College. Here are the most common colleges for mixing engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Mixing engineer common collegePercentages
Full Sail University44.30%
Berklee College of Music16.46%
Miami Dade College3.80%
New York University3.16%
Institute of Production and Recording3.16%

Best majors for mixing engineers

Best colleges for mixing engineers

The best colleges for mixing engineers are Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

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

1. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

2. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

3. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$55,453

Enrollment

4,312

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

9. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

10. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

20 best online courses for mixing engineers

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1. Mixing and Mastering in Logic Pro X - Music Production Guide

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Learn the essentials of mixing in Logic Pro X using only stock plugins and effects in our Music Production Course...

3. Music + Audio Production in Logic Pro X - The Complete Guide

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Become a master at using Logic Pro X Understand music production Learn to record, edit & mix audio to a pro standard...

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5. Music Production in Logic Pro X - The Complete Course!

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Join Successful Music Production + Logic Pro X students in Creating, Recording, Mixing Music + Mastering in Logic Pro X...

6. Music Production + Mixing Music in Presonus Studio One

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Learn Presonus Studio One + Music Production in this Complete Course for Creating, Recording, Mixing Music + Mastering...

7. FL Studio - Music Production + Mixing Music -Complete Course

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Learn Music Production in FL Studio for Mac + PC for Recording, Editing, Composing, Mixing and Mastering in FL Studio...

8. Operating the Audio Mixer, A Beginning Sound Engineer Course

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Learn to Mix Live Sound...

9. Ableton Live 11 Masterclass: Complete Music Production Guide

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Complete Guide To: Music Production, Music Mixing, Electronic Music, Sound Design, Audio Engineering / Production...

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14. The Complete EDM Production Course - Produce, Mix & Master

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Learn EDM Production, mixing, mastering, sound design, arrangement, plugins, techniques & more using any software or DAW...

15. Complete Audio Production Course: Record Better Audio

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16. Ableton Live 11 - Music Production in Ableton Live

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Learn Music Production, Recording, Editing, Music Mixing, Songwriting + Music Theory in this Ableton Live 11 Course...

17. Songwriting in Logic Pro X for Electronic Music Production

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18. The Sound Kitchen - Great sound made easy

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Sound Engineering course for musicians, volunteers, professionals. For both beginners and people with some knowledge...

19. Learn Music Production Essentials

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Learn how to Record, Edit, Mix and Master your Tracks into a Professional Music Production...

20. Avid Pro Tools: Audio Recording For Beginners In Pro Tools

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Learn the basics of Audio Recording & Music Production With Avids Pro Tools 12 Software. Mixing, Mastering, Midi & more...

Top 10 most affordable universities for mixing engineers

The most affordable schools for mixing engineers are California State University - Long Beach, university of south florida, and city college of new york of the city university of new york, the.

If the best universities for mixing engineers 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 mixing engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

3. 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

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for mixing engineers

The hardest universities for mixing engineers to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for mixing engineers 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 mixing engineers 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,488

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for mixing engineers

The easiest schools for mixing engineers to get into are Pennsylvania State University - DuBois, university of the incarnate word, and texas a&m; university - kingsville.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a mixing engineer 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 mixing engineers.

1. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois

DuBois, PA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,079

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

4. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

8. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

9. Indiana State University

Terre Haute, IN • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,019

10. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

Average mixing engineer salary by education level

According to our data, mixing engineers with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $87,891 annually. Mixing engineers with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $82,892.
Mixing engineer education levelMixing engineer salary
High School Diploma or Less$74,964
Bachelor's Degree$87,891
Some College/ Associate Degree$82,892

Mixing engineer 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.

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