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Search strategist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a search strategist. Search strategists usually study marketing, business, or communication. 79% of search strategists hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 324 real search strategist resumes to see exactly what search strategist education sections show.
The most common colleges for search strategists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online search strategist courses to help get the education required to be a search strategist.
There are certain search strategist certifications that you should consider. These search strategist certifications include Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate and Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ).
What education do you need to become a search strategist?
What degree do you need to be a search strategist?
- Bachelor's, 79%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 7%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a search strategist?
- Marketing, 23%
- Business, 17%
- Communication, 9%
- Journalism, 9%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for search strategists
| Search strategist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 8.47% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 8.47% |
| Utah Valley University | 6.78% |
| Full Sail University | 6.78% |
| SUNY Buffalo State | 6.78% |
Best majors for search strategists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marketing | 23.0% |
| 2 | Business | 16.8% |
| 3 | Communication | 9.4% |
| 4 | Journalism | 8.9% |
| 5 | English | 6.8% |
Best colleges for search strategists
The best colleges for search strategists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.
A search strategist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for search strategists. 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 search strategists.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
8. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
10. Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$11,803
Enrollment
4,631
20 best online courses for search strategists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for search strategists
The most affordable schools for search strategists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for search strategists 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 search strategists.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
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 South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for search strategists
The hardest universities for search strategists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.
Some great schools for search strategists 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 search strategists 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for search strategists
The easiest schools for search strategists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's 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 search strategist 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 search strategists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
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. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
7. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average search strategist salary by education level
| Search strategist education level | Search strategist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $97,461 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $86,862 |
| Doctorate Degree | $97,487 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $72,002 |
Search strategist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025