You can take a class, enroll in a program, or seek online resources to learn editing. Depending on your needs, these different options should fit you. Not every option works for every career path, as some may require a much more specific understanding of editing while others do not.

Editor Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an editor. Editors usually study english, journalism, or communication. 77% of editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 54,677 real editor resumes to see exactly what editor education sections show.

The most common colleges for editors are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online editor courses to help get the education required to be an editor.

There are certain editor certifications that you should consider. These editor certifications include Certified Journalism Educator (CJE) and Adobe Digital Publishing.

What education do you need to become an editor?

What degree do you need to be an editor?

The most common degree for editors is bachelor's degree, with 77% of editors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 10% and master's degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 77%

Master's, 10%

Associate, 7%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an editor?

You should major in english to become an editor. 22% of editors major in english. Other common majors for an editor include journalism and communication.

English, 22%

Journalism, 16%

Communication, 13%

Photography, 8%

Other Majors, 41%

Most common colleges for editors

Editors often get their degrees at New York University, University of California - Davis, and Boston University. Here are the most common colleges for editors in the US based on their resumes.

Editor Common College	Percentages
New York University	10.10%
University of California - Davis	6.50%
Boston University	5.75%
University of California, Santa Barbara	5.65%
Temple University	5.50%

Show more common editor colleges

Best majors for editors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	English	22.1%
2	Journalism	16.5%
3	Communication	13.3%
4	Photography	7.8%
5	Writing	6.3%

Show more common editor majors

Best colleges for editors

The best colleges for editors are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.

An 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 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 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 editors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for editors

The most affordable schools for 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 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 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 editors

The hardest universities for editors to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for 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 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

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

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

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

SAT Average

1,545

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for editors

The easiest schools for 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 an 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 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 editor salary by education level

According to our data, editors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $59,900 annually. Editors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $56,736.

Editor education level	Editor salary
Master's Degree	$56,736
Bachelor's Degree	$52,669
Doctorate Degree	$59,900

Editor Education FAQs

How to learn editing

What is the best college for Editors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.

Search for editor jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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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