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Editorial assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an editorial assistant. Editorial assistants usually study english, journalism, or communication. 82% of editorial assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 10,354 real editorial assistant resumes to see exactly what editorial assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for editorial assistants are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online editorial assistant courses to help get the education required to be an editorial assistant.
There are certain editorial assistant certifications that you should consider. These editorial assistant certifications include Adobe Digital Publishing and Certified Journalism Educator (CJE).
What education do you need to become an editorial assistant?
What degree do you need to be an editorial assistant?
- Bachelor's, 82%
- Master's, 9%
- Associate, 5%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an editorial assistant?
- English, 31%
- Journalism, 15%
- Communication, 11%
- Writing, 7%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for editorial assistants
| Editorial assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 15.31% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.79% |
| Boston University | 6.08% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.68% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 5.45% |
Best majors for editorial assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 30.6% |
| 2 | Journalism | 14.8% |
| 3 | Communication | 11.4% |
| 4 | Writing | 6.9% |
| 5 | Political Science | 4.6% |
Best colleges for editorial assistants
The best colleges for editorial assistants are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
An editorial assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for editorial assistants. 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 editorial assistants.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
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 editorial assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for editorial assistants
The most affordable schools for editorial assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for editorial assistants 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 editorial assistants.
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. Dickinson State University
Dickinson, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$6,768
Cost of attendance
15,506
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for editorial assistants
The hardest universities for editorial assistants to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Some great schools for editorial assistants 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 editorial assistants 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. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for editorial assistants
The easiest schools for editorial assistants 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 an editorial assistant 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 editorial assistants.
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. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average editorial assistant salary by education level
| Editorial assistant education level | Editorial assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $48,305 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $44,900 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,904 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $45,337 |
Editorial assistant education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025