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Software publisher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a software publisher. Software publishers usually study business, biology, or finance. 78% of software publishers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 11 real software publisher resumes to see exactly what software publisher education sections show.
The most common colleges for software publishers are the Sam Houston State University and the Sam Houston State University.
There are also many online software publisher courses to help get the education required to be a software publisher.
What education do you need to become a software publisher?
What degree do you need to be a software publisher?
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Doctorate, 11%
- Master's, 11%
What should I major in to become a software publisher?
Most common colleges for software publishers
| Software publisher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Sam Houston State University | 16.67% |
| Cleveland State University | 16.67% |
| University of Evansville | 16.67% |
| The University of Alabama | 16.67% |
| University of California - Davis | 16.67% |
Best majors for software publishers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 22.2% |
| 2 | Biology | 11.1% |
| 3 | Finance | 11.1% |
| 4 | Marketing | 11.1% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 11.1% |
Best colleges for software publishers
The best colleges for software publishers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
A software publisher 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 publishers. 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 publishers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
9. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for software publishers
Advertising disclosure
1. Predictive Analytics for Business
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4. SkillUp EdTech Office Productivity Software
Designed for learners of all experience levels, this program equips you with the essential skills needed to use the software tools utilized on a daily basis in office environments. Throughout the program, consisting of a series of mini-courses, you will delve into the different categories of office productivity software, discovering the popular applications within each category. To begin, you will gain a solid foundation in navigating the Windows desktop, managing files and folders, and...
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8. Software Development Lifecycle
This Specialization is designed for people who are new to software engineering. It's also for those who have already developed software, but wish to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying context and theory of software development practices.\n\nAt the end of this Specialization, we expect learners to be able to:\n\n1.) Build high-quality and secure software using SDLC methodologies such as agile, lean, and traditional/waterfall.\n\n2.) Analyze a software development team's SDLC...
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15. SOLID Software Architecture: Complete Guide with Coding Examples
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Top 10 most affordable universities for software publishers
The most affordable schools for software publishers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for software publishers 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 publishers.
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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for software publishers
The hardest universities for software publishers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for software publishers 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 publishers 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for software publishers
The easiest schools for software publishers to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a software publisher 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 publishers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
10. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
Average software publisher salary by education level
| Software publisher education level | Software publisher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $168,007 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $147,636 |
| Doctorate Degree | $167,970 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $100,703 |
Software publisher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025