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Content Writer Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a content writer. Content writers usually study english, communication, or writing. 77% of content writers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 5,518 real content writer resumes to see exactly what content writer education sections show.

The most common colleges for content writers are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online content writer courses to help get the education required to be a content writer.

There are certain content writer certifications that you should consider. These content writer certifications include Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate and Professional Certified Marketer (PCM).

What education do you need to become a content writer?

What degree do you need to be a content writer?

The most common degree for content writers is bachelor's degree, with 77% of content writers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 77%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 6%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a content writer?

You should major in english to become a content writer. 26% of content writers major in english. Other common majors for a content writer include communication and writing.

Most common colleges for content writers

Content writers often get their degrees at New York University, Brigham Young University, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for content writers in the US based on their resumes.
Content Writer Common CollegePercentages
New York University7.99%
Brigham Young University6.93%
University of California - Davis6.22%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.22%
University of South Florida5.86%

Best majors for content writers

RankMajorPercentages
1English26.2%
2Communication11.9%
3Writing11.7%
4Journalism9.8%
5Business5.1%

Best colleges for content writers

The best colleges for content writers are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for content writers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for content writers

The most affordable schools for content writers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for content writers 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 content writers.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,798

Cost of Attendance

18,306

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,240

Cost of Attendance

13,991

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,620

Cost of Attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,749

Cost of Attendance

14,823

7. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,182

Cost of Attendance

13,998

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,410

Cost of Attendance

20,456

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,987

Cost of Attendance

25,527

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,893

Cost of Attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for content writers

The hardest universities for content writers to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Some great schools for content writers 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 content writers 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. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

7%

SAT Average

1,545

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

6%

SAT Average

1,512

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

19%

SAT Average

1,466

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

22%

SAT Average

1,420

7. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions Rate

19%

SAT Average

1,449

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

20%

SAT Average

1,419

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

13%

SAT Average

1,445

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

15%

SAT Average

1,448

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for content writers

The easiest schools for content writers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and rochester university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a content writer 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 content writers.

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. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions Rate

100%

SAT Average

1,002

4. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions Rate

67%

SAT Average

987

5. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

99%

SAT Average

1,008

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

88%

SAT Average

1,044

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions Rate

84%

SAT Average

1,069

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions Rate

86%

SAT Average

991

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

72%

SAT Average

1,054

10. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

70%

SAT Average

849

Average content writer salary by education level

Content writers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $65,637 annually. With a Master's degree, content writers earn a median annual income of $61,761 compared to $61,566 for content writers with an Bachelor's degree.
Content Writer education levelContent Writer salary
Master's Degree$61,761
Bachelor's Degree$61,566
Doctorate Degree$65,637

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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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