Want to be an influencer? Hope you have $142k for tuition

Ever daydream about ditching your day job to travel the world like those glamorous influencers on your social media feed?

Well, you can finally live out your TikTok fantasy — if you're willing to shell out.

Arizona State University offers aspiring influencers a content creation degree — though you'll need to part with a cool $142k for tuition, per Fortune.

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More than teaching selfie techniques, ASU's content creation B.A. promises hands-on training to prepare enrollees for entrepreneurial and professional roles in social media strategy, brand storytelling, digital marketing, podcasting, and multimedia production.

Comprehensive stuff.

The estimated annual base tuition varies depending on where you attend:

• Online: $12k
• ASU's Los Angeles campus: $25k
• Downtown Phoenix campus: $35k

For that much money, one would hope to receive more than just tips on promoting a sports drink on your feed.

Indeed, ASU suggests the degree could potentially lead to lucrative (albeit more traditional) jobs, including marketing associate ($133k/year), PR manager ($146k), or marketing manager ($166k).

And ASU isn't alone — schools in Florida and even the Ivies are offering courses and degrees for aspiring influencers.

But who actually wants to be an influencer?

A lot of people apparently:

• 57% of Gen Zers and 41% of adults want to become influencers.
• 30% of Gen Zers say they'd even pay for the opportunity.
• 53% of Gen Zers consider content creation a reputable career choice, and roughly the same number would ditch their current jobs if it paid enough.
• More teens now earn money through digital channels (42%) than traditional jobs (38%), according to one survey.

They're bound to have plenty of applicants.

But be warned: For those considering a career in content creation, the creator economy income gap is widening.

• Average annual income: $44k
• Only 11% earn $100k+
• Top 10% receive 62% of total creator payments

Brands also now expect much more from creators, treating them as on-call cultural advisors who must deliver what an entire marketing team once did.

But considering the creator economy is valued at $250B, and expected to reach $480B by 2027, we're bound to see more students enrolling.

Get those ring lights ready.