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Composition teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a composition teacher. Composition teachers usually study english, writing, or education. 59% of composition teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 120 real composition teacher resumes to see exactly what composition teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for composition teachers are the University of South Carolina - Columbia and the University of South Carolina - Columbia.
There are also many online composition teacher courses to help get the education required to be a composition teacher.
What education do you need to become a composition teacher?
What degree do you need to be a composition teacher?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Master's, 26%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a composition teacher?
Most common colleges for composition teachers
| Composition teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of South Carolina - Columbia | 10.71% |
| University of Houston | 7.14% |
| University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | 7.14% |
| Western Illinois University | 7.14% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 7.14% |
Best majors for composition teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 28.9% |
| 2 | Writing | 13.3% |
| 3 | Education | 12.2% |
| 4 | Fine Arts | 4.4% |
| 5 | General Education, Specific Areas | 4.4% |
Best colleges for composition teachers
The best colleges for composition teachers are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Vanderbilt University.
A composition teacher 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 teachers. 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 teachers.
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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
7. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for composition teachers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for composition teachers
The most affordable schools for composition teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for composition teachers 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 teachers.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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 - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for composition teachers
The hardest universities for composition teachers to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for composition teachers 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 teachers 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for composition teachers
The easiest schools for composition teachers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, holy names university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a composition teacher 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 teachers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
Average composition teacher salary by education level
| Composition teacher education level | Composition teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $70,527 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $61,413 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $64,310 |
| Doctorate Degree | $72,317 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $62,307 |
Composition teacher education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025