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Special effects technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a special effects technician. Special effects technicians usually study business, fine arts, or criminal justice. 49% of special effects technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 183 real special effects technician resumes to see exactly what special effects technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for special effects technicians are the University of Denver and the University of Denver.
There are also many online special effects technician courses to help get the education required to be a special effects technician.
What education do you need to become a special effects technician?
What degree do you need to be a special effects technician?
- Bachelor's, 49%
- Associate, 29%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a special effects technician?
- Business, 17%
- Fine Arts, 8%
- Criminal Justice, 6%
- Biology, 6%
- Other Majors, 63%
Most common colleges for special effects technicians
| Special effects technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Denver | 10.71% |
| University of Northern Colorado | 7.14% |
| Full Sail University | 7.14% |
| University of Washington | 7.14% |
| Clarkson University | 7.14% |
Best majors for special effects technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 16.7% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 7.6% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 6.1% |
| 4 | Biology | 6.1% |
| 5 | Psychology | 6.1% |
Best colleges for special effects technicians
The best colleges for special effects technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and New York University.
A special effects technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for special effects technicians. 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 special effects technicians.
1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
4. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
7. Texas State University
San Marcos, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,280
Enrollment
34,187
8. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
9. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$11,870
Enrollment
53,194
10. American University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$48,459
Enrollment
7,485
20 best online courses for special effects technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for special effects technicians
The most affordable schools for special effects technicians are Brigham Young University, university of puerto rico - mayaguez, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for special effects technicians 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 special effects technicians.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
2. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
8. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
9. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Cost of attendance
23,600
10. Brigham Young University - Hawaii
Laie, HI • Private
In-state tuition
$5,560
Cost of attendance
18,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for special effects technicians
The hardest universities for special effects technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and New York University.
Some great schools for special effects technicians 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 special effects technicians 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
6. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
7. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
10. American University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,320
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for special effects technicians
The easiest schools for special effects technicians to get into are Saint Martin's University, nyack college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a special effects technician 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 special effects technicians.
1. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Saint Xavier University
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
74%
SAT average
1,061
9. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,148
10. Longwood University
Farmville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,065
Average special effects technician salary by education level
| Special effects technician education level | Special effects technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $39,241 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,904 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $44,467 |
Special effects technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025