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Contributing author education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a contributing author. Contributing authors usually study english, communication, or political science. 71% of contributing authors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 558 real contributing author resumes to see exactly what contributing author education sections show.
The most common colleges for contributing authors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online contributing author courses to help get the education required to be a contributing author.
What education do you need to become a contributing author?
What degree do you need to be a contributing author?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 6%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a contributing author?
- English, 14%
- Communication, 12%
- Political Science, 10%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 57%
Most common colleges for contributing authors
| Contributing author common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.38% |
| Florida State University | 9.38% |
| University of Florida | 6.25% |
| University of Wisconsin - Madison | 6.25% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.25% |
Best majors for contributing authors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 14.5% |
| 2 | Communication | 11.9% |
| 3 | Political Science | 9.8% |
| 4 | Business | 7.2% |
| 5 | Journalism | 6.0% |
Best colleges for contributing authors
The best colleges for contributing authors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A contributing author with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for contributing authors. 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 contributing authors.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$50,340
Enrollment
5,301
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
9. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
10. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
20 best online courses for contributing authors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for contributing authors
The most affordable schools for contributing authors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for contributing authors 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 contributing authors.
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
7. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
8. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
9. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for contributing authors
The hardest universities for contributing authors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for contributing authors 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 contributing authors 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
5. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
6. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
7. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
10. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for contributing authors
The easiest schools for contributing authors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, d'youville college, and nyack college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a contributing author 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 contributing authors.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average contributing author salary by education level
| Contributing author education level | Contributing author salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,960 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,844 |
| Doctorate Degree | $67,045 |
Contributing author education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025