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Video effects editor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a video effects editor. Video effects editors usually study photography, fine arts, or graphic design. 71% of video effects editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 49 real video effects editor resumes to see exactly what video effects editor education sections show.

The most common colleges for video effects editors are the School of Visual Arts and the School of Visual Arts.

There are also many online video effects editor courses to help get the education required to be a video effects editor.

What education do you need to become a video effects editor?

What degree do you need to be a video effects editor?

The most common degree for video effects editors is bachelor's degree, with 71% of video effects editors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 71%
  • Associate, 16%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a video effects editor?

You should major in photography to become a video effects editor. 20% of video effects editors major in photography. Other common majors for a video effects editor include fine arts and graphic design.

Most common colleges for video effects editors

Video effects editors often get their degrees at School of Visual Arts, Louisiana State University and A&M; College, and SUNY at Buffalo. Here are the most common colleges for video effects editors in the US based on their resumes.
Video effects editor common collegePercentages
School of Visual Arts9.52%
Louisiana State University and A&M College4.76%
SUNY at Buffalo4.76%
California State University - Fullerton4.76%
Full Sail University4.76%

Best majors for video effects editors

RankMajorPercentages
1Photography20.0%
2Fine Arts11.1%
3Graphic Design8.9%
4Communication6.7%
5Computer Science6.7%

Best colleges for video effects editors

The best colleges for video effects editors are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Harvard University.

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

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

20 best online courses for video effects editors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for video effects editors

The most affordable schools for video effects editors are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for video effects editors 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 video effects editors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

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. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for video effects editors

The hardest universities for video effects editors to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for video effects editors 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 video effects editors 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for video effects editors

The easiest schools for video effects editors to get into are Barry University, university of the incarnate word, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a video effects editor 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 video effects editors.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

6. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

7. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average video effects editor salary by education level

According to our data, video effects editors with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $51,804 annually. Video effects editors with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $47,232.
Video effects editor education levelVideo effects editor salary
Bachelor's Degree$51,804
Some College/ Associate Degree$47,232

Video effects editor 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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