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Design editor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a design editor. Design editors usually study graphic design, journalism, or communication. 79% of design editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,629 real design editor resumes to see exactly what design editor education sections show.
The most common colleges for design editors are the Ohio University and the Ohio University.
There are also many online design editor courses to help get the education required to be a design editor.
What education do you need to become a design editor?
What degree do you need to be a design editor?
- Bachelor's, 79%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 7%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a design editor?
- Graphic Design, 18%
- Journalism, 16%
- Communication, 12%
- English, 11%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for design editors
| Design editor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Ohio University | 7.53% |
| University of Iowa | 7.53% |
| Syracuse University | 6.85% |
| Michigan State University | 6.85% |
| New York University | 6.16% |
Best majors for design editors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 17.7% |
| 2 | Journalism | 15.8% |
| 3 | Communication | 11.7% |
| 4 | English | 10.7% |
| 5 | Fine Arts | 6.3% |
Best colleges for design editors
The best colleges for design editors are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.
A design 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 design 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 design editors.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for design editors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for design editors
The most affordable schools for design editors are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for design 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 design editors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for design editors
The hardest universities for design editors to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for design 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 design 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for design editors
The easiest schools for design editors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and grand view university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a design 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 design 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. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
4. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,026
Average design editor salary by education level
| Design editor education level | Design editor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,827 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,711 |
| Doctorate Degree | $63,019 |
Design editor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025