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Business editor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a business editor. Business editors usually study journalism, english, or communication. 80% of business editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 588 real business editor resumes to see exactly what business editor education sections show.

The most common colleges for business editors are the Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

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

What education do you need to become a business editor?

What degree do you need to be a business editor?

The most common degree for business editors is bachelor's degree, with 80% of business editors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 80%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Doctorate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a business editor?

You should major in journalism to become a business editor. 36% of business editors major in journalism. Other common majors for a business editor include english and communication.

Most common colleges for business editors

Business editors often get their degrees at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Temple University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for business editors in the US based on their resumes.
Business editor common collegePercentages
Southern Illinois University Carbondale7.14%
Temple University7.14%
Pennsylvania State University7.14%
Boston University6.12%
Northwestern University6.12%

Best majors for business editors

RankMajorPercentages
1Journalism36.1%
2English13.2%
3Communication10.2%
4Business7.6%
5Political Science6.6%

Best colleges for business editors

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

A business 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 business 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 business editors.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for business editors

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20. Business Communication Skills: Business Writing & Grammar

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Top 10 most affordable universities for business editors

The most affordable schools for business editors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for business 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 business 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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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 - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business editors

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

Some great schools for business 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 business 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

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

The easiest schools for business editors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, holy names university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

9. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

10. Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,026

Average business editor salary by education level

According to our data, business editors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $63,922 annually. Business editors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $61,199.
Business editor education levelBusiness editor salary
Master's Degree$61,199
Bachelor's Degree$57,654
Doctorate Degree$63,922

Business 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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