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Copy editor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a copy editor. Copy editors usually study english, journalism, or communication. 83% of copy editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 11,933 real copy editor resumes to see exactly what copy editor education sections show.
The most common colleges for copy editors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online copy editor courses to help get the education required to be a copy editor.
There are certain copy editor certifications that you should consider. These copy editor certifications include Certified Journalism Educator (CJE) and Adobe Digital Publishing.
What education do you need to become a copy editor?
What degree do you need to be a copy editor?
- Bachelor's, 83%
- Master's, 9%
- Associate, 5%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a copy editor?
- English, 26%
- Journalism, 26%
- Communication, 12%
- Writing, 7%
- Other Majors, 29%
Most common colleges for copy editors
| Copy editor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 8.85% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.66% |
| Temple University | 6.48% |
| University of Florida | 5.57% |
| University of California - Davis | 5.57% |
Best majors for copy editors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 26.3% |
| 2 | Journalism | 25.9% |
| 3 | Communication | 12.1% |
| 4 | Writing | 6.9% |
| 5 | Political Science | 3.6% |
Best colleges for copy editors
The best colleges for copy editors are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.
A copy 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 copy 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 copy editors.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for copy editors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for copy editors
The most affordable schools for copy editors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for copy 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 copy 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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for copy editors
The hardest universities for copy editors to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for copy 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 copy 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for copy editors
The easiest schools for copy editors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and saint joseph's college of maine.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a copy 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 copy editors.
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. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
4. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
5. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
6. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
8. Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,026
9. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average copy editor salary by education level
| Copy editor education level | Copy editor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $68,736 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,341 |
| Doctorate Degree | $72,959 |
Copy editor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025