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Sound assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sound assistant. Sound assistants usually study photography, music, or communication. 64% of sound assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 300 real sound assistant resumes to see exactly what sound assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for sound assistants are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.
There are also many online sound assistant courses to help get the education required to be a sound assistant.
What education do you need to become a sound assistant?
What degree do you need to be a sound assistant?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Associate, 21%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Master's, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a sound assistant?
- Photography, 20%
- Music, 12%
- Communication, 7%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for sound assistants
| Sound assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Full Sail University | 16.67% |
| New York University | 9.52% |
| George Mason University | 7.14% |
| Champlain College | 4.76% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 4.76% |
Best majors for sound assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 19.7% |
| 2 | Music | 12.3% |
| 3 | Communication | 7.4% |
| 4 | Business | 6.6% |
| 5 | Theatre | 6.6% |
Best colleges for sound assistants
The best colleges for sound assistants are Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A sound assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for sound assistants. 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 sound assistants.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
9. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
20 best online courses for sound assistants
Advertising disclosure
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2. Fundamentals of Audio and Music Engineering: Part 1 Musical Sound & Electronics
In this course students learn the basic concepts of acoustics and electronics and how they can applied to understand musical sound and make music with electronic instruments. Topics include: sound waves, musical sound, basic electronics, and applications of these basic principles in amplifiers and speaker design...
3. The Sound Kitchen - Great sound made easy
Sound Engineering course for musicians, volunteers, professionals. For both beginners and people with some knowledge...
4. Ultimate Sound Design: Mastering Sound Design
Master sound design for music production, game audio development, film scoring, composition, and more!...
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8. Sound Design 102: Using Synthesis for Music Production
Using Ableton Live and Reason, we will learn how to craft sounds using any synthesizer to make our tracks amazing...
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10. Operating the Audio Mixer, A Beginning Sound Engineer Course
Learn to Mix Live Sound...
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12. Sound Design 101: Using Sampling for Music Production
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Learn game audio, sound design, and sfx creation along with artistic and technical audio skills for beginners...
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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. Singing Bowls for Sound Healing Layouts
Level 4: BLISSbowls™ Sound Healing Methods for Dynamic Multiple Bowl Sessions...
18. SOUND for Film and Television
A 2-1/2-hour, entertaining, funny, and immersive romp into what you need to know to start getting great sound...
19. Sound Design with Sylenth
Create your own sounds by mastering the art and science of subtractive synthesis with Lennar Digital's Sylenth!...
20. Sound healing with Tibetan Singing Bowls practitioner course
Sound healing course with Tibetan singing bowls...
Top 10 most affordable universities for sound assistants
The most affordable schools for sound assistants are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for sound assistants 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 sound assistants.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. 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
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sound assistants
The hardest universities for sound assistants to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for sound assistants 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 sound assistants 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
14%
SAT average
1,531
9. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sound assistants
The easiest schools for sound assistants to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sound assistant 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 sound assistants.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average sound assistant salary by education level
| Sound assistant education level | Sound assistant salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $62,003 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $73,144 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $68,827 |
Sound assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025