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Subject matter expert education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a subject matter expert. Subject matter experts usually study business, computer science, or criminal justice. 57% of subject matter experts hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 16,286 real subject matter expert resumes to see exactly what subject matter expert education sections show.
The most common colleges for subject matter experts are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online subject matter expert courses to help get the education required to be a subject matter expert.
There are certain subject matter expert certifications that you should consider. These subject matter expert certifications include IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become a subject matter expert?
What degree do you need to be a subject matter expert?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 16%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a subject matter expert?
- Business, 25%
- Computer Science, 10%
- Criminal Justice, 5%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for subject matter experts
| Subject matter expert common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 22.10% |
| American University | 8.82% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.58% |
| Strayer University | 5.44% |
| DeVry University | 5.35% |
Best majors for subject matter experts
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 25.4% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 9.8% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 5.2% |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering | 5.1% |
| 5 | Psychology | 5.0% |
Best colleges for subject matter experts
The best colleges for subject matter experts are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A subject matter expert with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for subject matter experts. 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 subject matter experts.
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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
10. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
20 best online courses for subject matter experts
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Top 10 most affordable universities for subject matter experts
The most affordable schools for subject matter experts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for subject matter experts 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 subject matter experts.
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
10. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for subject matter experts
The hardest universities for subject matter experts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for subject matter experts 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 subject matter experts 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for subject matter experts
The easiest schools for subject matter experts to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a subject matter expert 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 subject matter experts.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
9. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average subject matter expert salary by education level
| Subject matter expert education level | Subject matter expert salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $114,441 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $104,586 |
| Doctorate Degree | $120,317 |
Subject matter expert education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025