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Composition professor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a composition professor. Composition professors usually study english, writing, or general education, specific areas. 56% of composition professors hold a bachelor's degree, and 34% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 44 real composition professor resumes to see exactly what composition professor education sections show.

The most common colleges for composition professors are the Wayne State University and the Wayne State University.

There are also many online composition professor courses to help get the education required to be a composition professor.

What education do you need to become a composition professor?

What degree do you need to be a composition professor?

The most common degree for composition professors is bachelor's degree, with 56% of composition professors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 34% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 56%
  • Master's, 34%
  • Doctorate, 5%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a composition professor?

You should major in english to become a composition professor. 39% of composition professors major in english. Other common majors for a composition professor include writing and general education, specific areas.

Most common colleges for composition professors

Composition professors often get their degrees at Wayne State University, Appalachian State University, and University of Kentucky. Here are the most common colleges for composition professors in the US based on their resumes.
Composition professor common collegePercentages
Wayne State University8.70%
Appalachian State University8.70%
University of Kentucky8.70%
Notre Dame College4.35%
University of Maryland - College Park4.35%

Best majors for composition professors

RankMajorPercentages
1English38.6%
2Writing11.4%
3General Education, Specific Areas9.1%
4Music4.5%
5Liberal Arts4.5%

Best colleges for composition professors

The best colleges for composition professors are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.

A composition professor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for composition professors. 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 composition professors.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

20 best online courses for composition professors

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Practical strategies for developing your company's global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion function...

20. Music Composition 2

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Harmony and Compositional Form...

Top 10 most affordable universities for composition professors

The most affordable schools for composition professors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for composition professors 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 composition professors.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for composition professors

The hardest universities for composition professors to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for composition professors 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 composition professors 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for composition professors

The easiest schools for composition professors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a composition professor 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 composition professors.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

5. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Notre Dame of Maryland University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,069

Average composition professor salary by education level

According to our data, composition professors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $89,131 annually. Composition professors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $67,062.
Composition professor education levelComposition professor salary
Master's Degree$67,062
Doctorate Degree$89,131

Composition professor 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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