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Editorial cartoonist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an editorial cartoonist. Editorial cartoonists usually study fine arts, communication, or graphic design. 77% of editorial cartoonists hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 119 real editorial cartoonist resumes to see exactly what editorial cartoonist education sections show.
The most common colleges for editorial cartoonists are the Western Washington University and the Western Washington University.
There are also many online editorial cartoonist courses to help get the education required to be an editorial cartoonist.
What education do you need to become an editorial cartoonist?
What degree do you need to be an editorial cartoonist?
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Associate, 14%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Master's, 4%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become an editorial cartoonist?
- Fine Arts, 16%
- Communication, 12%
- Graphic Design, 12%
- Liberal Arts, 7%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for editorial cartoonists
| Editorial cartoonist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Western Washington University | 7.14% |
| University of Colorado at Boulder | 7.14% |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | 7.14% |
| Northern Illinois University | 7.14% |
| School of Visual Arts | 7.14% |
Best majors for editorial cartoonists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fine Arts | 15.5% |
| 2 | Communication | 12.1% |
| 3 | Graphic Design | 12.1% |
| 4 | Liberal Arts | 6.9% |
| 5 | General Education, Specific Areas | 6.9% |
Best colleges for editorial cartoonists
The best colleges for editorial cartoonists are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
An editorial cartoonist 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 cartoonists. 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 cartoonists.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
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 editorial cartoonists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for editorial cartoonists
The most affordable schools for editorial cartoonists are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and lehman college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for editorial cartoonists 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 cartoonists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for editorial cartoonists
The hardest universities for editorial cartoonists to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
Some great schools for editorial cartoonists 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 cartoonists 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for editorial cartoonists
The easiest schools for editorial cartoonists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an editorial cartoonist 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 cartoonists.
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. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
10. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
Average editorial cartoonist salary by education level
| Editorial cartoonist education level | Editorial cartoonist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $55,603 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $40,122 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,756 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $45,470 |
Editorial cartoonist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025