Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Radio host education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a radio host. Radio hosts usually study communication, journalism, or business. 71% of radio hosts hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,584 real radio host resumes to see exactly what radio host education sections show.
The most common colleges for radio hosts are the University of South Florida and the University of South Florida.
There are also many online radio host courses to help get the education required to be a radio host.
What education do you need to become a radio host?
What degree do you need to be a radio host?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a radio host?
- Communication, 30%
- Journalism, 15%
- Business, 8%
- Digital Media, 4%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for radio hosts
| Radio host common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of South Florida | 8.61% |
| Georgia Southern University | 8.61% |
| New York University | 6.62% |
| Syracuse University | 5.30% |
| Temple University | 5.30% |
Best majors for radio hosts
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 30.2% |
| 2 | Journalism | 15.0% |
| 3 | Business | 8.2% |
| 4 | Digital Media | 4.3% |
| 5 | English | 4.1% |
Best colleges for radio hosts
The best colleges for radio hosts are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Boston University.
A radio host with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for radio hosts. 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 radio hosts.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
10. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Enrollment
58,392
20 best online courses for radio hosts
Advertising disclosure
1. How to Make a Mixtape - Make a Seamless DJ Mix in Ableton
Learn the Best DJ Software - Make Your Own DJ Mixes in Ableton - My mixes received over 50k plays on a weekly basis...
2. Hip Hop Dance For Beginners
Learn 13 Beginning Hip Hop Dance Routines Without Stepping Foot In a Dance Studio...
3. Lyricology: The Perfect Formulas for Hip-Hop Songwriting!
Hip Hop songwriting techniques that will help you perfect your craft!...
4. SDR for Ethical Hackers and Security Researchers
Software Defined Radio Master Series: Learn How SDR can be used in Finding Vulnerabilities in Wireless Devices...
5. Lyricology: Perfect Song Structure and Beat Selection!
Simple techniques for counting bars, song structure and beat selection for aspiring hip hop artists...
6. Electronic Music Production with Ableton Live
The Complete Course - Create Full Tracks in No Time!...
7. Modulation in Communication System for RF Engineers RAHRF152
Analog and Digital Modulation simplified for Radio Frequency experts This course concentrates more on ideology than math...
8. Ableton Live 11 Masterclass: Complete Music Production Guide
Complete Guide To: Music Production, Music Mixing, Electronic Music, Sound Design, Audio Engineering / Production...
9. Learn how to DJ From The Wu-Tang Clan
Get Certified, Get Recognized...
10. The Sound Kitchen - Great sound made easy
Sound Engineering course for musicians, volunteers, professionals. For both beginners and people with some knowledge...
11. RF Basic Concepts & Components Radio Frequency- Entry Level
RAHRF101 is a quick start to the basic RF topic and the prerequisite for Rahsoft RF Certificate...
12. How to Start and Run a Web Hosting Business from Home
Learn how to create a web hosting business or add web hosting to your existing services...
13. The Complete DJ Course For Beginners 2023 2 Be A DJ
Includes 20 FREE music tracks and 30 guided mix tutorials - You can mix along in real time with the exact same tracks...
14. MaxForLive: Creating Your Own Audio Tools in Max For Live
Learning Max For Live: From the basics to the advanced, with Ableton Certified Trainer J. Anthony Allen...
15. Adobe Audition CC Audio Production Course Basics to Expert
Learn Adobe Audition audio editing tips, tricks and audio production secrets with Mike Russell in a complete A-Z course...
16. Ultimate Live Sound School (1st Edition)
Top of the line training for the Live Sound from a veteran who has worked with Michael Jackson & Whitney Houston...
17. Ableton Live 11 - Music Production in Ableton Live
Learn Music Production, Recording, Editing, Music Mixing, Songwriting + Music Theory in this Ableton Live 11 Course...
18. Operating the Audio Mixer, A Beginning Sound Engineer Course
Learn to Mix Live Sound...
19. The Complete Audio Producer 2021
Zero To Professional Production Taught By World Renowned Audio Engineer/Producer Clarian...
20. Music Production in Ableton Live 10 - The Complete Course!
Learn Music Production in Ableton Live 10 Today and Understand how to Create, Record and Edit Your Own Music + Live Sets...
Top 10 most affordable universities for radio hosts
The most affordable schools for radio hosts are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for radio hosts 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 radio hosts.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
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 State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. 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
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for radio hosts
The hardest universities for radio hosts to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for radio hosts 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 radio hosts 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
6. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
7. Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA • Private
Admissions rate
36%
SAT average
1,330
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for radio hosts
The easiest schools for radio hosts to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a radio host 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 radio hosts.
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. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
5. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
6. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
10. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
Average radio host salary by education level
| Radio host education level | Radio host salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $37,269 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,406 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $40,992 |
Radio host education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
Search for radio host jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025