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Assistant film editor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an assistant film editor. Assistant film editors usually study photography, communication, or english. 82% of assistant film editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 162 real assistant film editor resumes to see exactly what assistant film editor education sections show.

The most common colleges for assistant film editors are the New York University and the New York University.

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

What education do you need to become an assistant film editor?

What degree do you need to be an assistant film editor?

The most common degree for assistant film editors is bachelor's degree, with 82% of assistant film editors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 8% and associate degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 82%
  • Associate, 8%
  • Master's, 6%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become an assistant film editor?

You should major in photography to become an assistant film editor. 34% of assistant film editors major in photography. Other common majors for an assistant film editor include communication and english.

Most common colleges for assistant film editors

Assistant film editors often get their degrees at New York University, San Francisco State University, and Syracuse University. Here are the most common colleges for assistant film editors in the US based on their resumes.
Assistant film editor common collegePercentages
New York University12.77%
San Francisco State University8.51%
Syracuse University6.38%
City College of New York of the City University of New York, The6.38%
Emerson College6.38%

Best majors for assistant film editors

RankMajorPercentages
1Photography34.0%
2Communication14.2%
3English8.5%
4Graphic Design7.5%
5Theatre4.7%

Best colleges for assistant film editors

The best colleges for assistant film editors are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and New York University.

An assistant film 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 assistant film 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 assistant film editors.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

20 best online courses for assistant film editors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant film editors

The most affordable schools for assistant film editors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for assistant film 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 assistant film 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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant film editors

The hardest universities for assistant film editors to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and New York University.

Some great schools for assistant film 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 assistant film 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant film editors

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

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

7. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

8. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

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 assistant film editor salary by education level

According to our data, assistant film editors with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $54,170 annually. Assistant film editors with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $49,067.
Assistant film editor education levelAssistant film editor salary
Bachelor's Degree$54,170
Some College/ Associate Degree$49,067

Assistant film 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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