Sourcer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a sourcer. Sourcers usually study business, psychology, or communication. 77% of sourcers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 590 real sourcer resumes to see exactly what sourcer education sections show.

The most common colleges for sourcers are the San Jose State University and the San Jose State University.

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

What education do you need to become a sourcer?

What degree do you need to be a sourcer?

The most common degree for sourcers is bachelor's degree, with 77% of sourcers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 10% and associate degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 77%

Associate, 10%

Master's, 6%

Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a sourcer?

You should major in business to become a sourcer. 27% of sourcers major in business. Other common majors for a sourcer include psychology and communication.

Business, 27%

Psychology, 11%

Communication, 11%

Human Resources Management, 7%

Other Majors, 44%

Most common colleges for sourcers

Sourcers often get their degrees at San Jose State University, University of Phoenix, and San Francisco State University. Here are the most common colleges for sourcers in the US based on their resumes.

Sourcer common college	Percentages
San Jose State University	10.23%
University of Phoenix	10.23%
San Francisco State University	10.23%
Washington State University	5.68%
Strayer University	5.68%

Show more common sourcer colleges

Best majors for sourcers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	26.8%
2	Psychology	11.2%
3	Communication	10.8%
4	Human Resources Management	7.1%
5	Marketing	4.7%

Show more common sourcer majors

Best colleges for sourcers

The best colleges for sourcers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

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

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. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

20 best online courses for sourcers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for sourcers

The most affordable schools for sourcers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for sourcers 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 sourcers.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sourcers

The hardest universities for sourcers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for sourcers 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 sourcers 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sourcers

The easiest schools for sourcers to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sourcer 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 sourcers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

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. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

Average sourcer salary by education level

According to our data, sourcers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $84,654 annually. Sourcers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $79,116.

Sourcer education level	Sourcer salary
Master's Degree	$79,116
High School Diploma or Less	$60,589
Bachelor's Degree	$71,798
Doctorate Degree	$84,654
Some College/ Associate Degree	$60,782

Sourcer education FAQs

What is the best college for Sourcers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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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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