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Remote sensing analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a remote sensing analyst. Remote sensing analysts usually study geography, nursing, or environmental science. 59% of remote sensing analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 221 real remote sensing analyst resumes to see exactly what remote sensing analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for remote sensing analysts are the University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin Colleges.

There are also many online remote sensing analyst courses to help get the education required to be a remote sensing analyst.

What education do you need to become a remote sensing analyst?

What degree do you need to be a remote sensing analyst?

The most common degree for remote sensing analysts is bachelor's degree, with 59% of remote sensing analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 15%.
  • Bachelor's, 59%
  • Associate, 18%
  • Master's, 15%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a remote sensing analyst?

You should major in geography to become a remote sensing analyst. 26% of remote sensing analysts major in geography. Other common majors for a remote sensing analyst include nursing and environmental science.

Most common colleges for remote sensing analysts

Remote sensing analysts often get their degrees at University of Wisconsin Colleges, University of New Orleans, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for remote sensing analysts in the US based on their resumes.
Remote sensing analyst common collegePercentages
University of Wisconsin Colleges6.98%
University of New Orleans6.98%
University of California - Davis6.98%
Northern Illinois University6.98%
National University4.65%

Best majors for remote sensing analysts

RankMajorPercentages
1Geography26.3%
2Nursing11.9%
3Environmental Science11.9%
4Geology8.5%
5Computer Information Systems5.9%

Best colleges for remote sensing analysts

The best colleges for remote sensing analysts are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

A remote sensing analyst with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for remote sensing analysts. 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 remote sensing analysts.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for remote sensing analysts

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3. Data Analyst

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Use Python, SQL and Statistics to advance your programming skills and refine your ability to work with messy, complex datasets...

4. Programming for Data Science with R

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Prepare for a data science career by learning the fundamental data programming tools: R, SQL, command line, and git...

5. Remote Sensing Image Acquisition, Analysis and Applications

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Welcome to Remote Sensing Image Acquisition, Analysis and Applications, in which we explore the nature of imaging the earth's surface from space or from airborne vehicles. This course covers the fundamental nature of remote sensing and the platforms and sensor types used. It also provides an in-depth treatment of the computational algorithms employed in image understanding, ranging from the earliest historically important techniques to more recent approaches based on deep learning. It assumes...

6. IBM Data Analyst Capstone Project

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By completing this final capstone project you will apply various Data Analytics skills and techniques that you have learned as part of the previous courses in the IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate. You will assume the role of an Associate Data Analyst who has recently joined the organization and be presented with a business challenge that requires data analysis to be performed on real-world datasets. You will perform the various tasks that professional data analysts do as part of their...

7. Satellite Remote Sensing Data Bootcamp With Opensource Tools

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Pre-process and Analyze Satellite Remote Sensing Data With Free Software...

8. Complete Remote Sensing Image Analysis with ENVI Software

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Learn basic to advanced remote sensing image processing, spatial analysis, and GIS techniques using ENVI software...

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11. Intro to Machine Learning with PyTorch

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12. Full Stack Web Developer

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Design and develop modern web applications.Students will also learn how to deploy a Flask-based web application to the cloud using Docker and Kubernetes...

13. Complete Google Earth Engine for Remote Sensing & GIS

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4.4
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Harness the Power of Google Earth Engine for GIS Spatial Data Analysis & Remote Sensing...

14. Fundamentals of Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis

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4.4
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Become proficient in satellite remote sensing, spatial analysis principles, methods, applications, sensors, and GIS!...

15. Data Science (Part Time)

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Create robust predictive models with statistics and Python programming. Build confidence and credibility to tackle complex machine learning problems on the job. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

16. Python Programming (Part Time)

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17. Data Structures and Algorithms

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18. Data Visualization

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19. Geospatial Analyses & Remote Sensing: from Beginner to Pro

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4.1
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Learn Remote Sensing, QGIS & GIS , main concepts, machine learning, QGIS classification, change detection, Earth Engine...

20. The Google Earth Engine Mega Course: Remote Sensing & GIS

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Become a Google Earth Engine expert just in one course. Remote Sensing, GIS, Java Script, Machine Learning...

Top 10 most affordable universities for remote sensing analysts

The most affordable schools for remote sensing analysts are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for remote sensing analysts 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 remote sensing analysts.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for remote sensing analysts

The hardest universities for remote sensing analysts to get into are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for remote sensing analysts 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 remote sensing analysts 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,488

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for remote sensing analysts

The easiest schools for remote sensing analysts to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, adventhealth university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a remote sensing analyst 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 remote sensing analysts.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average remote sensing analyst salary by education level

According to our data, remote sensing analysts with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $69,341 annually. Remote sensing analysts with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $68,947.
Remote sensing analyst education levelRemote sensing analyst salary
Master's Degree$69,341
Bachelor's Degree$64,846
Doctorate Degree$68,947
Some College/ Associate Degree$59,277

Remote sensing analyst 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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