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Sound mixer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sound mixer. Sound mixers usually study photography, music, or audiovisual communications technologies. 68% of sound mixers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 438 real sound mixer resumes to see exactly what sound mixer education sections show.
The most common colleges for sound mixers are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.
There are also many online sound mixer courses to help get the education required to be a sound mixer.
What education do you need to become a sound mixer?
What degree do you need to be a sound mixer?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 7%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a sound mixer?
- Photography, 42%
- Music, 10%
- Communication, 5%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for sound mixers
| Sound mixer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Full Sail University | 25.35% |
| New York University | 8.45% |
| Columbia College Chicago | 8.45% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 4.23% |
| Columbia College Hollywood | 4.23% |
Best majors for sound mixers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 42.4% |
| 2 | Music | 10.2% |
| 3 | Audiovisual Communications Technologies | 5.9% |
| 4 | Communication | 5.4% |
| 5 | Engineering | 4.9% |
Best colleges for sound mixers
The best colleges for sound mixers are Johns Hopkins University, New York University, and Northeastern University.
A sound mixer 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 mixers. 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 mixers.
1. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Enrollment
4,169
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. Lawrence Technological University
Southfield, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$33,570
Enrollment
1,991
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Suffolk University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$38,566
Enrollment
5,012
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for sound mixers
Advertising disclosure
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2. Sound and Sonification Design for Interactive Learning Tools
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3. Operating the Audio Mixer, A Beginning Sound Engineer Course
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4. 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...
5. Ultimate Sound Design: Mastering Sound Design
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6. The Sound Kitchen - Great sound made easy
Sound Engineering course for musicians, volunteers, professionals. For both beginners and people with some knowledge...
7. Sound Therapy & Sound Healing Accredited Practitioner Course
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12. Xfer Serum Synthesizer - Sound Design + Music Production
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Using Ableton Live and Reason, we will learn how to craft sounds using any synthesizer to make our tracks amazing...
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15. Sound Design 101: Using Sampling for Music Production
Using Ableton Live and Reason, we will learn how to craft sounds using any synthesizer to make amazing beats and tracks...
16. Singing Bowls for Sound Healing Layouts
Level 4: BLISSbowls™ Sound Healing Methods for Dynamic Multiple Bowl Sessions...
17. Sound Healing PRO Course: Part 1
Learn about the instruments and how to play them...
18. Sound healing with Tibetan Singing Bowls practitioner course
Sound healing course with Tibetan singing bowls...
19. Sound Design with Sylenth
Create your own sounds by mastering the art and science of subtractive synthesis with Lennar Digital's Sylenth!...
20. 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...
Top 10 most affordable universities for sound mixers
The most affordable schools for sound mixers are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for sound mixers 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 mixers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
6. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,645
Cost of attendance
20,098
10. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sound mixers
The hardest universities for sound mixers to get into are Johns Hopkins University, New York University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for sound mixers 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 mixers 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
8. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
9. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sound mixers
The easiest schools for sound mixers to get into are Kean University, mount saint mary's university, and ferris state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sound mixer 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 mixers.
1. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,070
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
7. Suffolk University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,131
8. Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,062
9. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average sound mixer salary by education level
| Sound mixer education level | Sound mixer salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $34,747 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $39,514 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $37,687 |
Sound mixer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025