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Critic education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a critic. Critics usually study english, fine arts, or communication. 70% of critics hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 436 real critic resumes to see exactly what critic education sections show.
The most common colleges for critics are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online critic courses to help get the education required to be a critic.
What education do you need to become a critic?
What degree do you need to be a critic?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a critic?
- English, 19%
- Fine Arts, 12%
- Communication, 8%
- Theatre, 7%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for critics
| Critic common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 10.61% |
| Temple University | 7.58% |
| Rhode Island School of Design | 7.58% |
| Catholic University of America | 7.58% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 6.06% |
Best majors for critics
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 18.9% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 12.3% |
| 3 | Communication | 7.8% |
| 4 | Theatre | 7.4% |
| 5 | Journalism | 7.4% |
Best colleges for critics
The best colleges for critics are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A critic with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for critics. 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 critics.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
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 critics
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Top 10 most affordable universities for critics
The most affordable schools for critics are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for critics 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 critics.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. 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. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for critics
The hardest universities for critics to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for critics 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 critics 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
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. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for critics
The easiest schools for critics to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a critic 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 critics.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
6. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
7. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
10. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
Average critic salary by education level
| Critic education level | Critic salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $58,972 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,897 |
Critic education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025