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Software installer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a software installer. Software installers usually study business, computer science, or computer information systems. 52% of software installers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 317 real software installer resumes to see exactly what software installer education sections show.

The most common colleges for software installers are the Louisiana Tech University and the Louisiana Tech University.

There are also many online software installer courses to help get the education required to be a software installer.

What education do you need to become a software installer?

What degree do you need to be a software installer?

The most common degree for software installers is bachelor's degree, with 52% of software installers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 24% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 52%
  • Associate, 24%
  • High School Diploma, 10%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a software installer?

You should major in business to become a software installer. 26% of software installers major in business. Other common majors for a software installer include computer science and computer information systems.

Most common colleges for software installers

Software installers often get their degrees at Louisiana Tech University, University of Phoenix, and Utah State University. Here are the most common colleges for software installers in the US based on their resumes.
Software installer common collegePercentages
Louisiana Tech University6.98%
University of Phoenix6.98%
Utah State University6.98%
American InterContinental University6.98%
University of Memphis4.65%

Best majors for software installers

Best colleges for software installers

The best colleges for software installers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

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

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

20 best online courses for software installers

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1. Introduction to Software, Programming, and Databases

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2. Computer Hardware and Software

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This course provides foundational understanding of how computers process information through hardware and software. You will investigate the world of Information Technology (IT) and survey hardware components, mobile devices, operating systems, programs and apps, network fundamentals, the Internet, and touch on security and ethics...

3. How to Install and Configure OPC Client/Server Software

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7. Software Development: Better Requirements Gathering Skills

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Agile Software Testing: Methodologies and Testing Approaches, Techniques and Tools...

14. Software Architecture & Design of Modern Large Scale Systems

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15. SDLC (2023) - Software Development Life Cycle SDLC

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16. Software Development Lifecycle & Methodologies

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17. Software Architecture & Technology of Large-Scale Systems

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Learn Architecting Software Systems with High Performance, Scalability, Availability, Security using Modern Technologies...

18. Software Architecture & System Design Practical Case Studies

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Design Real-life Large Scale Systems, Practice Modern Software Architecture & Prepare for a System Design Interview...

19. The Complete Guide to Becoming a Software Architect

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The most comprehensive guide that will make you a Software Architect, the most desired role in the software industry...

20. Navigating the Complexities of Software License Agreements

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4.5
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Software License Agreements...

Top 10 most affordable universities for software installers

The most affordable schools for software installers are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for software installers 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 software installers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for software installers

The hardest universities for software installers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for software installers 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 software installers 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for software installers

The easiest schools for software installers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and nyack college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a software installer 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 software installers.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

10. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

Average software installer salary by education level

According to our data, software installers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $120,139 annually. Software installers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $114,950.
Software installer education levelSoftware installer salary
Master's Degree$120,139
High School Diploma or Less$94,687
Bachelor's Degree$105,154
Doctorate Degree$114,950
Some College/ Associate Degree$96,654

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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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