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Designer/writer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a designer/writer. Designer/writers usually study journalism, graphic design, or english. 77% of designer/writers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 378 real designer/writer resumes to see exactly what designer/writer education sections show.

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

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

What education do you need to become a designer/writer?

What degree do you need to be a designer/writer?

The most common degree for designer/writers is bachelor's degree, with 77% of designer/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 designer/writer?

You should major in journalism to become a designer/writer. 16% of designer/writers major in journalism. Other common majors for a designer/writer include graphic design and english.

Most common colleges for designer/writers

Designer/writers often get their degrees at New York University, Ball State University, and Syracuse University. Here are the most common colleges for designer/writers in the US based on their resumes.
Designer/writer common collegePercentages
New York University8.70%
Ball State University8.70%
Syracuse University6.52%
University of Wisconsin Colleges6.52%
University of Connecticut4.35%

Best majors for designer/writers

RankMajorPercentages
1Journalism15.7%
2Graphic Design11.1%
3English10.1%
4Communication9.6%
5Fine Arts6.6%

Best colleges for designer/writers

The best colleges for designer/writers are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Harvard University.

A designer/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 designer/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 designer/writers.

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. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

20 best online courses for designer/writers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for designer/writers

The most affordable schools for designer/writers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for designer/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 designer/writers.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

10. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for designer/writers

The hardest universities for designer/writers to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for designer/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 designer/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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for designer/writers

The easiest schools for designer/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 designer/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 designer/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. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

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. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

Average designer/writer salary by education level

According to our data, designer/writers with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $125,597 annually. Designer/writers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $125,070.
Designer/writer education levelDesigner/writer salary
Master's Degree$125,070
Bachelor's Degree$125,597

Designer/writer education FAQs

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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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