Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Desk editor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a desk editor. Desk editors usually study journalism, communication, or english. 82% of desk editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 611 real desk editor resumes to see exactly what desk editor education sections show.
The most common colleges for desk editors are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.
There are also many online desk editor courses to help get the education required to be a desk editor.
What education do you need to become a desk editor?
What degree do you need to be a desk editor?
- Bachelor's, 82%
- Master's, 8%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a desk editor?
- Journalism, 38%
- Communication, 21%
- English, 9%
- Other Majors, 26%
Most common colleges for desk editors
| Desk editor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Florida | 9.35% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 8.41% |
| New York University | 7.48% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 7.48% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 6.54% |
Best majors for desk editors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Journalism | 38.1% |
| 2 | Communication | 21.1% |
| 3 | English | 9.3% |
| 4 | Political Science | 5.6% |
| 5 | Photography | 4.4% |
Best colleges for desk editors
The best colleges for desk editors are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and New York University.
A desk 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 desk 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 desk 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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. American University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$48,459
Enrollment
7,485
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for desk editors
Advertising disclosure
1. IT service operations and Service Desk management
Improve Service Desk and IT support processes and service functions. Better preparation for the professional exam...
2. Help Desk Analyst
Boost your career with this course, pass the e-Learning course, and achieve your Help Desk Analyst certificate...
3. Service Desk Analyst Crash course for beginners.
Get Hands-On Experience for following JOB roles - Service Desk Analyst IT Help Desk Professional L1 IT Support GSD...
4. Learning IT Help Desk Basics
Get the skills you need to pursue an entry-level position as an IT help desk technician...
5. IT Help Desk for Beginners
The essentials to become an IT Help Desk Technician...
6. Learning IT Help Desk for Beginners
Must know skills for Helpdesk and Service Desk Professionals!!...
7. ComputerCavalry: IT Help Desk Training for IT Professionals!
Help Desk Training for IT Professionals is a 10 lecture course that provides valuable work experience to beginners in IT...
8. Help Desk Professional: A guide to your IT career
Master the Help desk position by working smarter and boost your career opportunities...
9. IT Support and Service Desk jobs -Crash Course for Beginners
Let me help you land your first job in IT. Learn about different roles, procedures, tools, and applications - Part 1...
10. IT Help Desk Professional
Get Hands-On Experience on Helpdesk Skills, Learn, Master & Troubleshoot All What It Takes To Get You a Job...
11. Hotel Front Desk
Hotel Front Office Management and Operations...
12. Kickstart a Freelance Editor & Proofreader Career on Upwork
The Complete Guide to Satisfying Clients and Growing Your Freelancing Business...
13. Proofreading Power Basics
Learn to proofread from an experienced educator and subject matter expert...
14. Adobe Photoshop Photo Editing
Learn How to Edit Photos as we Learn all the Tools in Photoshop and then Finish out the Course with 3 Fun Projects...
15. 5G O-RAN (Open RAN): Architecture, Procedures And Use Cases
Path to O-RAN, RAN Functional Splits, Split 7.2x for O-RAN, O-RAN Virtualization, Non & Near RT RIC, Slicing in O-RAN...
16. Learn To Code Like a Pro With VI Editor
Master the powerful command line text editors VI and VIM and take your development skills to the next level...
17. Writing Proofreading Course: Proofread Punctuation & Grammar
Proofread Writing & Translation Like a Pro Be a Freelance Proofreader on Upwork Grasp Punctuation & Grammar...
18. The Complete Proofreading Course: Editing and Proofreading
Learn All Aspects of Proofreading Writing Editing Punctuation and Other Communication Strategies...
19. Adobe Photoshop Projects
Everything you need to know about to Build Projects Using Adobe Photoshop 2022...
20. How to Find & Correct Writing Errors: The Proofreading Guide
Identify and Remove Embarrassing Mistakes from Documents...
Top 10 most affordable universities for desk editors
The most affordable schools for desk editors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for desk 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 desk 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. 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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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 Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
9. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for desk editors
The hardest universities for desk editors to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and New York University.
Some great schools for desk 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 desk 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
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. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for desk editors
The easiest schools for desk editors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, grand view 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 desk 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 desk editors.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
3. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
4. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
5. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
6. Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,026
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
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 desk editor salary by education level
| Desk editor education level | Desk editor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $58,085 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,669 |
| Doctorate Degree | $61,534 |
Desk editor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
Search for desk editor jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025