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Talent scout education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a talent scout. Talent scouts usually study business, communication, or marketing. 60% of talent scouts hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 671 real talent scout resumes to see exactly what talent scout education sections show.

The most common colleges for talent scouts are the San Francisco State University and the San Francisco State University.

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

What education do you need to become a talent scout?

What degree do you need to be a talent scout?

The most common degree for talent scouts is bachelor's degree, with 60% of talent scouts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 60%
  • Associate, 19%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Master's, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a talent scout?

You should major in business to become a talent scout. 22% of talent scouts major in business. Other common majors for a talent scout include communication and marketing.

Most common colleges for talent scouts

Talent scouts often get their degrees at San Francisco State University, New York University, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Here are the most common colleges for talent scouts in the US based on their resumes.
Talent scout common collegePercentages
San Francisco State University10.13%
New York University8.86%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey7.59%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.33%
Columbia College Chicago6.33%

Best majors for talent scouts

RankMajorPercentages
1Business21.5%
2Communication9.7%
3Marketing9.3%
4Psychology7.9%
5Human Resources Management6.5%

Best colleges for talent scouts

The best colleges for talent scouts are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.

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

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for talent scouts

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5. Managing Talent

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In this course, you will learn best practices for selecting, recruiting, and onboarding talent. You will also learn about the key approaches to measuring performance and evaluating your employees. In addition, you will learn how to develop and coach your talent so that they can realize their full potential at work. Altogether, you will gain a thorough understanding of the complete cycle of managing talent and creating a robust talent pipeline for your team and organization. Managing and...

6. New Models of Business in Society

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Top 10 most affordable universities for talent scouts

The most affordable schools for talent scouts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for talent scouts 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 talent scouts.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for talent scouts

The hardest universities for talent scouts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for talent scouts 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 talent scouts 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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

10. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for talent scouts

The easiest schools for talent scouts to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a talent scout 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 talent scouts.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average talent scout salary by education level

According to our data, talent scouts with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $82,281 annually. Talent scouts with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $77,667.
Talent scout education levelTalent scout salary
High School Diploma or Less$66,798
Bachelor's Degree$82,281
Some College/ Associate Degree$77,667

Talent scout education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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