Book editor education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a book editor?

You need a bachelor's degree in English or a related field to be a book editor. Book editors can come from a variety of educational and experiential backgrounds that can help prepare them for a career in the editing field. Earning a degree in English or journalism will prepare you for composing and evaluating the craft of written work. These are skills that are important to book editors. A communications degree is helpful to editors as they interact with writers and provide suggestions that will improve the work that has been submitted for publishing. Experience is very important to an editor. While a bachelor's degree is standard among book editors, it is not required. Some effective editors have writing experience. This provides them the familiarity with writing structure, tone, and pacing. Experience in specific areas of book publishing can also be valuable. Knowledge of a writing genre such as science fiction is important for specific publishers. Even though 73% of book editors have a bachelor's degree, many enter the field with a master's degree. Nearly 18% of working book editors have a master's degree in English or a related field. Some editors obtain a master's degree in business or marketing allowing them to work independently from larger publishers or assume a larger role with a big publishing house.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a book editor. Book editors usually study english, journalism, or writing. 73% of book editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 863 real book editor resumes to see exactly what book editor education sections show.

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

There are also many online book editor courses to help get the education required to be a book editor.

What education do you need to become a book editor?

What degree do you need to be a book editor?

The most common degree for book editors is bachelor's degree, with 73% of book editors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 73%

Master's, 18%

Associate, 4%

Doctorate, 3%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a book editor?

You should major in english to become a book editor. 27% of book editors major in english. Other common majors for a book editor include journalism and writing.

English, 27%

Journalism, 14%

Writing, 8%

Communication, 8%

Other Majors, 43%

Most common colleges for book editors

Book editors often get their degrees at New York University, Syracuse University, and University of Arizona. Here are the most common colleges for book editors in the US based on their resumes.

Book editor common college	Percentages
New York University	10.78%
Syracuse University	7.84%
University of Arizona	5.88%
Northwestern University	5.88%
University of Florida	4.90%

Show more common book editor colleges

Best majors for book editors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	English	27.0%
2	Journalism	14.2%
3	Writing	7.9%
4	Communication	7.5%
5	History	4.8%

Show more common book editor majors

Best colleges for book editors

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

A book 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 book 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 book 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 book editors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for book editors

The most affordable schools for book 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 book 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 book 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 book editors

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

Some great schools for book 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 book 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

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

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

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

SAT average

1,545

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

The easiest schools for book 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 a book 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 book 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 book editor salary by education level

According to our data, book editors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $77,468 annually. Book editors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $71,939.

Book editor education level	Book editor salary
Master's Degree	$71,939
Bachelor's Degree	$64,996
Doctorate Degree	$77,468

Book editor education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a book editor?

What is the best college for Book Editors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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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