Sound effects manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a sound effects manager. Sound effects managers usually study business, psychology, or computer science. 62% of sound effects managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 156 real sound effects manager resumes to see exactly what sound effects manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for sound effects managers are the Western Illinois University and the Western Illinois University.

There are also many online sound effects manager courses to help get the education required to be a sound effects manager.

What education do you need to become a sound effects manager?

What degree do you need to be a sound effects manager?

The most common degree for sound effects managers is bachelor's degree, with 62% of sound effects managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 62%

Associate, 15%

High School Diploma, 9%

Master's, 8%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a sound effects manager?

You should major in business to become a sound effects manager. 18% of sound effects managers major in business. Other common majors for a sound effects manager include psychology and computer science.

Business, 18%

Psychology, 6%

Computer Science, 6%

Communication, 6%

Other Majors, 64%

Most common colleges for sound effects managers

Sound effects managers often get their degrees at Western Illinois University, Central State University, and Briar Cliff University. Here are the most common colleges for sound effects managers in the US based on their resumes.

Sound effects manager common college	Percentages
Western Illinois University	10.34%
Central State University	6.90%
Briar Cliff University	6.90%
Full Sail University	6.90%
University of Nebraska - Lincoln	6.90%

Show more common sound effects manager colleges

Best majors for sound effects managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	18.5%
2	Psychology	6.2%
3	Computer Science	6.2%
4	Communication	6.2%
5	Nursing	6.2%

Show more common sound effects manager majors

Best colleges for sound effects managers

The best colleges for sound effects managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A sound effects manager 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 effects managers. 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 effects managers.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

20 best online courses for sound effects managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for sound effects managers

The most affordable schools for sound effects managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for sound effects managers 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 effects managers.

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sound effects managers

The hardest universities for sound effects managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for sound effects managers 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 effects managers 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sound effects managers

The easiest schools for sound effects managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sound effects manager 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 effects managers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

10. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

Average sound effects manager salary by education level

According to our data, sound effects managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $102,290 annually. Sound effects managers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $96,139.

Sound effects manager education level	Sound effects manager salary
Master's Degree	$102,290
High School Diploma or Less	$57,135
Bachelor's Degree	$79,962
Doctorate Degree	$96,139
Some College/ Associate Degree	$60,072

Sound effects manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Sound Effects Managers?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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