Post job

Acquisitions editor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an acquisitions editor. Acquisitions editors usually study english, writing, or journalism. 80% of acquisitions editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 581 real acquisitions editor resumes to see exactly what acquisitions editor education sections show.

The most common colleges for acquisitions editors are the Teachers College of Columbia University and the Teachers College of Columbia University.

There are also many online acquisitions editor courses to help get the education required to be an acquisitions editor.

What education do you need to become an acquisitions editor?

What degree do you need to be an acquisitions editor?

The most common degree for acquisitions editors is bachelor's degree, with 80% of acquisitions editors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 2%.
  • Bachelor's, 80%
  • Master's, 16%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Associate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become an acquisitions editor?

You should major in english to become an acquisitions editor. 35% of acquisitions editors major in english. Other common majors for an acquisitions editor include writing and journalism.

Most common colleges for acquisitions editors

Acquisitions editors often get their degrees at Teachers College of Columbia University, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and Boston University. Here are the most common colleges for acquisitions editors in the US based on their resumes.
Acquisitions editor common collegePercentages
Teachers College of Columbia University8.70%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey7.61%
Boston University6.52%
Brigham Young University6.52%
Michigan State University6.52%

Best majors for acquisitions editors

RankMajorPercentages
1English34.6%
2Writing8.2%
3Journalism7.5%
4History6.6%
5Communication6.3%

Best colleges for acquisitions editors

The best colleges for acquisitions editors are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.

An acquisitions 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 acquisitions 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 acquisitions editors.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

20 best online courses for acquisitions editors

Advertising disclosure

1. Mergers & Acquisitions - M & A, Valuation & Selling a Company

udemy
4.6
(2,802)

Mergers and Acquisitions - Step by Step M & A, Company Valuation, Negotiation Skills, Business Plans and Finance...

2. Management - Leadership, Negotiating, Assertiveness, Sales

udemy
4.5
(3,230)

A practical guide covering assertiveness, time management, leadership, negotiating, sales & project management...

3. Speed Learn 25 Mins: Leadership, Project Management & Sales

udemy
4.5
(418)

Instant guides to Leadership, Project Management, Time Management, Selling & Negotiation...

4. Project Management Master Class: Government Projects

udemy
4.4
(350)

Learn How To Win Big By Always Successfully Completing Government Projects Using Ninja Project Management Techniques...

5. How To Become a Bestselling Author on Amazon Kindle

udemy
4.8
(1,766)

Learn how to make money writing with this complete guide to writing, formatting, publishing and marketing Kindle ebooks...

6. Advanced Financial Accounting: Acquisitions & Consolidations

udemy
4.1
(703)

Acquisitions, Consolidations, and Reporting. Master complex concepts and applications...

7. Bestseller Book Marketing: Amazon Kindle KDP Self-Publishing

udemy
4.8
(751)

2023 Amazon book marketing & Kindle KDP self-publishing! Paperback books & Kindle (KDP) ebooks. Amazon Kindle KDP sales!...

8. Sales Fire: B2B Sales & Business Development for Startups

udemy
4.6
(584)

The Ultimate Sales Methodology for Business Development & B2B Sales to Learn Sales Strategy, Sales Skills & Deal Closing...

9. How to Find Easy Markets to Publish Your Books In

udemy
4.2
(378)

Learn how to find what readers want and give them what they will pay for so you sell more books more easily...

10. Sales Skills & Negotiation Skills - Selling Masterclass

udemy
4.5
(1,744)

Learn How To Sell - Step By Step Guide To Self Development As A Sales Consultant - Structured Training For Beginners...

11. Sales Analysis for Management Consultants

udemy
4.6
(251)

A practical guide on how to improve sales and marketing of your customers during consulting projects like Mc Kinsey, BCG,...

12. ASP.NET Core Identity - Authentication & Authorization

udemy
4.8
(707)

Learn Authentication & Authorization in ASP.NET Core (.NET 5) as we explore Identity Library with MVC and Razor Library...

13. Sales Prospecting Fundamentals: A Complete Guide to Success

udemy
4.3
(298)

Master effective prospecting by leveraging your sales superpower to increase your income!...

14. Lead Generation & Business Development with Dekker Fraser

udemy
4.4
(388)

Customer Acquisition, B2B Marketing, Sales Funnels, Business Development, Demand Generation, Sales Funnel Marketing...

15. Contracts Management in Construction Projects

udemy
4.3
(730)

Contracts Management, Contract Administration, FIDIC, Bank Guarantees, Contracts, Letter Drafting, Quantity Surveying...

16. Write A Book - Share Your Story

udemy
4.8
(373)

Write, Self Publish and Market your Non-Fiction Book, Launch on Amazon and Learn How to Become a Best Seller on Kindle...

17. The Complete Sales Skills Master Class - Sales Marketing B2B

udemy
4.5
(741)

Master Sales Skills, Marketing Strategy, B2B Sales, Business Development, Lead Generation Using Top Social Skills...

18. The Complete Project Management Fundamentals Course + CERT

udemy
4.4
(8,252)

Project Management Certification to get in an industry that is adding 1.5 million jobs each year: Project Management...

19. The Complete B2B Sales Masterclass: 6 Courses in 1

udemy
4
(413)

1. Generate Leads, 2. Pitch, 3. Close & Handle Any Objection: Get Certified in Cutting Edge, Non-Pushy B2B Sales System...

20. Business Development & B2B Sales for Startups- Sales Valley

udemy
4.5
(6,788)

The Complete Startup Playbook for Business Development & B2B Sales to learn Lead Generation, Pitching, & Closing Deals...

Top 10 most affordable universities for acquisitions editors

The most affordable schools for acquisitions editors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for acquisitions 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 acquisitions editors.

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. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for acquisitions editors

The hardest universities for acquisitions editors to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for acquisitions 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 acquisitions 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. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for acquisitions editors

The easiest schools for acquisitions editors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and saint joseph's college of maine.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an acquisitions 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 acquisitions editors.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

4. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

5. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

6. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,026

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average acquisitions editor salary by education level

Acquisitions editors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $72,987 annually. With a Master's degree, acquisitions editors earn a median annual income of $67,776 compared to $61,232 for acquisitions editors with an Bachelor's degree.
Acquisitions editor education levelAcquisitions editor salary
Master's Degree$67,776
Bachelor's Degree$61,232
Doctorate Degree$72,987

Acquisitions editor education FAQs

Search for acquisitions editor jobs

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.

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs