Virtual reality specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a virtual reality specialist. Virtual reality specialists usually study business, computer science, or nursing. 58% of virtual reality specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 96 real virtual reality specialist resumes to see exactly what virtual reality specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for virtual reality specialists are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

There are also many online virtual reality specialist courses to help get the education required to be a virtual reality specialist.

What education do you need to become a virtual reality specialist?

What degree do you need to be a virtual reality specialist?

The most common degree for virtual reality specialists is bachelor's degree, with 58% of virtual reality specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 58%

Associate, 18%

High School Diploma, 11%

Master's, 9%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a virtual reality specialist?

You should major in business to become a virtual reality specialist. 15% of virtual reality specialists major in business. Other common majors for a virtual reality specialist include computer science and nursing.

Business, 15%

Computer Science, 15%

Nursing, 7%

Graphic Design, 7%

Other Majors, 56%

Most common colleges for virtual reality specialists

Virtual reality specialists often get their degrees at University of California, Santa Barbara, Austin Community College, and University of Iowa. Here are the most common colleges for virtual reality specialists in the US based on their resumes.

Virtual reality specialist common college	Percentages
University of California, Santa Barbara	8.70%
Austin Community College	8.70%
University of Iowa	8.70%
University of Southern Maine	4.35%
University of Colorado at Boulder	4.35%

Show more common virtual reality specialist colleges

Best majors for virtual reality specialists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	15.3%
2	Computer Science	15.3%
3	Nursing	6.8%
4	Graphic Design	6.8%
5	Education	6.8%

Show more common virtual reality specialist majors

Best colleges for virtual reality specialists

The best colleges for virtual reality specialists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

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

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

9. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$58,230

Enrollment

6,600

10. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

20 best online courses for virtual reality specialists

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1. Introduction to Virtual Reality

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2. Virtual Reality

This specialisation from the University of London will introduce you to virtual reality.\n\nVirtual reality is one of the most highly requested skill sets in the jobs market, and this specialisation will give you an introduction to the subject and key skills in the field. You will hear from world-leading lecturers and industry experts, use Unity to develop your own VR environment, and end the specialisation by creating your first VR game...

3. Multiplayer Virtual Reality (VR) Development With Unity

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Learn the basics of Multiplayer Virtual Reality by building a fully functional project from scratch...

4. VMware Virtualization Fundamentals

4.5

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Overview of Virtualization and Learn VMware Virtualization...

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This course will begin your journey to creating Virtual Reality experiences. A Virtual Reality experience is a new world that you step into and are entirely immersed in. Creating a VR experience means creating that world and all the objects in it. In this course you will learn the basics of 3D graphics: how we create objects and how to lay them out to create an environment. You will learn techniques like materials and texturing that make your objects appear realistic. You will also learn about...

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Become Augmented & Virtual Reality UI/UX designer - English...

8. Understanding Virtualization with VMware

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10. Azure - Deploying Virtual Machines

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This course is designed to instruct students on Azure as it pertains to Virtual Networks, Virtual Machines, and Storage...

11. Setup a Virtual Web Server using Linode or Digital Ocean

4.8

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Deploy, Configure, and Scale a Production Virtual Web Server on Linode or Digital Ocean. Install LAMP Stack + More...

12. Creating and Managing Azure Virtual Machines with PowerShell

4.4

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Learn How to Use Power Shell to Deploy and Manage Virtual Machines in Microsoft Azure...

13. Form Your Virtual Team & Lead Your Virtual Team

4.5

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These days everything's moving online, even your team. Learn what it takes to form your team & lead, virtual style...

14. Azure Deep Dive: Complete Virtual Machine (VM) Course

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Learn the complete ins and outs of Azure Windows and Linux Virtual Machines. Creation, management, and deployment...

15. Become a Virtual Assistant

4.5

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Live Free. Work Virtually. Virtual Assistant Training...

16. Deploying Windows Virtual Desktop in Microsoft Azure

4.2

(374)

Delivering Remote Desktops and Apps in Azure with Windows Virtual Desktop and Azure AD Domain Services...

17. Augmented Reality in Depth 101

4.4

(508)

Understand Augmented Reality in Depth ,Various key tracking technology ,and make 20 Apps from scratch using creativity...

18. Getting Started with Azure Virtual Machines

4.4

(588)

Learn about Azure Virtual Machines and get started in your Azure Journey...

19. Virtual Teams: Remote Team Management & Leadership

4.6

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Managing a remote team as a leader. Virtual team management & motivation...

20. Zero to Hero with Azure Virtual Desktop AVD

4.6

(2,175)

Getting started with Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) ARM (previously named Windows Virtual Desktop WVD)...

Top 10 most affordable universities for virtual reality specialists

The most affordable schools for virtual reality specialists are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and queens college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for virtual reality specialists 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 virtual reality specialists.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

4. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

5. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Brigham Young University - Hawaii

Laie, HI • Private

In-state tuition

$5,560

Cost of attendance

18,043

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for virtual reality specialists

The hardest universities for virtual reality specialists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for virtual reality specialists 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 virtual reality specialists 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for virtual reality specialists

The easiest schools for virtual reality specialists to get into are La Roche College, cardinal stritch university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a virtual reality specialist 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 virtual reality specialists.

1. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

2. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

5. Baker University

Baldwin City, KS • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,126

6. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

7. Longwood University

Farmville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,065

8. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average virtual reality specialist salary by education level

Virtual reality specialists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $63,812 annually. With a Doctorate degree, virtual reality specialists earn a median annual income of $59,556 compared to $51,815 for virtual reality specialists with an Bachelor's degree.

Virtual reality specialist education level	Virtual reality specialist salary
Master's Degree	$63,812
High School Diploma or Less	$43,981
Bachelor's Degree	$51,815
Doctorate Degree	$59,556
Some College/ Associate Degree	$45,418

Virtual reality specialist education FAQs

What is the best college for Virtual Reality Specialists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

Search for virtual reality specialist jobs

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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