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Advertising writer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an advertising writer. Advertising writers usually study english, journalism, or communication. 78% of advertising writers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 105 real advertising writer resumes to see exactly what advertising writer education sections show.

The most common colleges for advertising writers are the California State University - San Marcos and the California State University - San Marcos.

There are also many online advertising writer courses to help get the education required to be an advertising writer.

What education do you need to become an advertising writer?

What degree do you need to be an advertising writer?

The most common degree for advertising writers is bachelor's degree, with 78% of advertising writers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 78%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an advertising writer?

You should major in english to become an advertising writer. 23% of advertising writers major in english. Other common majors for an advertising writer include journalism and communication.

Most common colleges for advertising writers

Advertising writers often get their degrees at California State University - San Marcos, University of Phoenix, and Modesto Junior College. Here are the most common colleges for advertising writers in the US based on their resumes.
Advertising writer common collegePercentages
California State University - San Marcos7.69%
University of Phoenix7.69%
Modesto Junior College7.69%
Bryn Mawr College7.69%
University of Maine7.69%

Best majors for advertising writers

RankMajorPercentages
1English22.9%
2Journalism18.6%
3Communication11.4%
4Business5.7%
5Writing5.7%

Best colleges for advertising writers

The best colleges for advertising writers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

An advertising writer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for advertising writers. 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 advertising writers.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Princeton University

Princeton, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$50,340

Enrollment

5,301

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

10. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$55,453

Enrollment

4,312

20 best online courses for advertising writers

Advertising disclosure

1. Teaching Reluctant Writers

coursera

All educators will encounter students who struggle with writing. This course first focuses on the reasons student writers may be reluctant and then provides learners with a variety of strategies and practices to help reluctant writers develop a greater comfort and confidence with writing. Learners will examine classroom relationships, mentoring, scaffolding, conferencing, low-risk writing and mini-lessons, all tools and techniques that can be brought right into the classroom to help struggling...

2. Proven & PROFITABLE Amazon PPC Advertising Course (2023)

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4.7
(1,407)

Learn the PROVEN System to Slash Your ACOS & Skyrocket Sales EVEN IF You've Failed. 2023 Amazon PPC Advertising Course...

3. Productivity Hacks for Writers (Writing Mastery)

udemy
4.9
(1,585)

Simple strategies and proven techniques to be more productive and get the most out of every writing day...

4. Become a Freelance Content Writer - Get Paid to Write Online

udemy
4.8
(298)

Learn everything you need to know about becoming a freelance writer - Work from home!...

5. Google Ads 2023: How to Drive Sales With PPC!

udemy
4.4
(316)

Get started with Google Ads and launch effective PPC advertising campaigns to reach new customers and grow your business...

6. Pinterest Marketing & Advertising Beginner To Advanced 2023

udemy
4.8
(1,988)

Unleash a Tidal Wave of Traffic & Sales THIS MONTH, WITHOUT ANY Pinterest Marketing Experience Website! 2023 Course...

7. Facebook Ads Copywriting & Facebook Ads for Real Estate 2023

udemy
4.5
(510)

Learn Facebook Ads Copywriting & Facebook Ads for Real Estate Fast & Fun! Enjoy Quizzes, Animations & Screen Recordings!...

8. Google & YouTube Ads, Bing Ads, Retargeting & ChatGPT Course

udemy
4.3
(333)

Learn Google Ads, You Tube Ads, Bing Ads & Google Retargeting. Use Chat GPT. Learn Google Max Performance & Display Ads...

9. Start A Profitable Freelance Writing Business In 5 Weeks

udemy
4.2
(305)

How To Earn Between £30 - £100/Hr As A Commercial Freelance Writer In Your Local Area, With Virtually ZERO Competition...

10. Facebook Ads 2023: Launch Your Best Advertising Campaign

udemy
4.5
(283)

Move from simple to compelling advertising campaigns with Facebook Ads and increase your value in the business...

11. Conquering Writer's Block (Writing Mastery)

udemy
4.5
(437)

Proven strategies and tools to overcome writer's block, renew your motivation, and write novels with confidence...

12. Fiction for Young Writers (Writing Mastery)

udemy
4.7
(338)

A fun, interactive workshop to help young writers unlock their creativity, improve their craft, and write better stories...

13. Meta Advertising for Beginners: Facebook Ads & Instagram Ads

udemy
4.6
(458)

Set Up Facebook Business Page & Meta Business Manager. Use Meta Business Suite. Launch Traffic & Lead Generation Ads...

14. Grant Writing for Nonprofits and Freelance Writers

udemy
4.5
(2,205)

Learn how to grantsmith winning proposals, think like a funder, draft a solid boilerplate, and build relationships...

15. Bing Ads For Beginners

udemy
4.3
(259)

How to Get Targeted Traffic using Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads)...

16. Easy YouTube Google Ads - Marketing and Advertising Traffic

udemy
4.8
(521)

Run Ads the Easy and Fun Way Without Falling into Google's Money Traps... costing you thousands of dollars...

17. Freelance Article Writing: Start a Freelance Writing Career!

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4.5
(541)

Learn to Create a Full or Part-Time Income as a Freelance Article Writer!...

18. Helping Writers to Write and Keep Writing

udemy
4.2
(391)

This limiting factor with most writers is their mind. This course will help get your state of mind into Success Mode...

19. Ecommerce PPC Ads 2023: Google Shopping & Merchant Center

udemy
4.1
(449)

Product Listing PPC Ads with Google Shopping: Ecommerce sales strategy that is much more effective than basic Google Ads...

20. Git and GitHub for Writers

udemy
4.7
(1,024)

Not a software developer? Learn how to use Git and Git Hub version control in a course specifically designed for writers...

Top 10 most affordable universities for advertising writers

The most affordable schools for advertising writers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for advertising writers 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 advertising writers.

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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

8. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for advertising writers

The hardest universities for advertising writers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for advertising writers 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 advertising writers 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

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Amherst College

Amherst, MA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,449

5. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

6. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,465

7. Hamilton College

Clinton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

21%

SAT average

1,446

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

10. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for advertising writers

The easiest schools for advertising writers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, d'youville college, and nyack college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an advertising writer 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 advertising writers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

8. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average advertising writer salary by education level

Advertising writers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $66,742 annually. With a Master's degree, advertising writers earn a median annual income of $63,195 compared to $63,016 for advertising writers with an Bachelor's degree.
Advertising writer education levelAdvertising writer salary
Master's Degree$63,195
Bachelor's Degree$63,016
Doctorate Degree$66,742

Advertising writer 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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