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Author's agent education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an author's agent. Author's agents usually study elementary education, theatre, or marketing. 57% of author's agents hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an diploma. We analyzed 14 real author's agent resumes to see exactly what author's agent education sections show.
The most common colleges for author's agents are the California State University - Fullerton and the California State University - Fullerton.
There are also many online author's agent courses to help get the education required to be an author's agent.
What education do you need to become an author's agent?
What degree do you need to be an author's agent?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Diploma, 29%
- Associate, 14%
What should I major in to become an author's agent?
- Elementary Education, 17%
- Theatre, 17%
- Marketing, 17%
- Other Majors, 32%
Most common colleges for author's agents
| Author's agent common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| California State University - Fullerton | 20.00% |
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 20.00% |
| St. Louis | 20.00% |
| West Virginia University | 20.00% |
| Southeastern Louisiana University | 20.00% |
Best majors for author's agents
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementary Education | 16.7% |
| 2 | Theatre | 16.7% |
| 3 | Marketing | 16.7% |
| 4 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 16.7% |
| 5 | English | 16.7% |
Best colleges for author's agents
The best colleges for author's agents are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Southern California.
An author's agent with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for author's agents. 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 author's agents.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
6. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$58,230
Enrollment
6,600
20 best online courses for author's agents
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Top 10 most affordable universities for author's agents
The most affordable schools for author's agents are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and florida state university.
If the best universities for author's agents 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 author's agents.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for author's agents
The hardest universities for author's agents to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for author's agents 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 author's agents 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for author's agents
The easiest schools for author's agents to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an author's agent 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 author's agents.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average author's agent salary by education level
| Author's agent education level | Author's agent salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $30,360 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $39,950 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $37,026 |
Author's agent education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025