Post job

Feature writer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a feature writer. Feature writers usually study journalism, english, or communication. 81% of feature writers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,304 real feature writer resumes to see exactly what feature writer education sections show.

The most common colleges for feature writers are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.

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

What education do you need to become a feature writer?

What degree do you need to be a feature writer?

The most common degree for feature writers is bachelor's degree, with 81% of feature writers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 81%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 6%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a feature writer?

You should major in journalism to become a feature writer. 25% of feature writers major in journalism. Other common majors for a feature writer include english and communication.

Most common colleges for feature writers

Feature writers often get their degrees at University of Florida, New York University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for feature writers in the US based on their resumes.
Feature writer common collegePercentages
University of Florida8.02%
New York University7.59%
Pennsylvania State University6.33%
Michigan State University5.91%
Temple University5.49%

Best majors for feature writers

RankMajorPercentages
1Journalism25.4%
2English17.8%
3Communication17.2%
4Writing6.4%
5Political Science3.9%

Best colleges for feature writers

The best colleges for feature writers are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Boston University.

A feature 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 feature 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 feature writers.

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. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

20 best online courses for feature writers

Advertising disclosure

1. Teaching Reluctant Writers

coursera

All educators will encounter students who struggle with writing. This course first focuses on the reasons student writers may be reluctant and then provides learners with a variety of strategies and practices to help reluctant writers develop a greater comfort and confidence with writing. Learners will examine classroom relationships, mentoring, scaffolding, conferencing, low-risk writing and mini-lessons, all tools and techniques that can be brought right into the classroom to help struggling...

2. Create a Syllabus using Libre Writer

coursera

In this project, you will learn how to create a visually appealing course syllabus in Libre Writer. The key components of a course syllabus will be discussed. While adding these components to your document, you will use various features in Writer. You will apply styles, insert a bulleted list and a table to organize information, insert an image, and modify a table and image. Included Universal design formatting tips will describe options to help make your document accessible to all learners...

3. Become a Freelance Content Writer - Get Paid to Write Online

udemy
4.8
(298)

Learn everything you need to know about becoming a freelance writer - Work from home!...

4. Fiction for Young Writers (Writing Mastery)

udemy
4.7
(338)

A fun, interactive workshop to help young writers unlock their creativity, improve their craft, and write better stories...

5. Create a Cover Letter with an Envelope using Libre Writer

coursera

After successfully completing this project, you will have created a cover letter and an envelope using Libre Writer. While composing a cover letter, you will use various features in Writer such as tables and fields. You will modify the font, change paragraph alignment and insert a bulleted list. You will also learn how to create an envelope as part of a document or save it as a separate file. Note: This course works best for learners who are based in the North America region. We’re currently...

6. Conquering Writer's Block (Writing Mastery)

udemy
4.5
(437)

Proven strategies and tools to overcome writer's block, renew your motivation, and write novels with confidence...

7. Copywriting: Persuasive Writing Ft. Two Forbes Writers

udemy
4
(316)

Forbes Contributors Renee Sylvestre-Williams & Matthew Rolnick offer a Comprehensive Guide to Persuasive Copywriting...

8. Start A Profitable Freelance Writing Business In 5 Weeks

udemy
4.2
(305)

How To Earn Between £30 - £100/Hr As A Commercial Freelance Writer In Your Local Area, With Virtually ZERO Competition...

9. Proofreading Power Basics

udemy
4.8
(959)

Learn to proofread from an experienced educator and subject matter expert...

10. Grant Writing for Nonprofits and Freelance Writers

udemy
4.5
(2,205)

Learn how to grantsmith winning proposals, think like a funder, draft a solid boilerplate, and build relationships...

11. Helping Writers to Write and Keep Writing

udemy
4.2
(391)

This limiting factor with most writers is their mind. This course will help get your state of mind into Success Mode...

12. Become a Successful SEO Freelancer & Start Online Businesses

udemy
4.5
(250)

Learn Search Engine Optimization & Start Getting Freelance Clients for your SEO Business and Rank on TOP #1 on Google...

13. Local Business Marketing With Local SEO & Social Media 2023

udemy
4.6
(343)

Local business marketing with local SEO, Google map search (Google My Business) local lead generation and social media...

14. Freelance Article Writing: Start a Freelance Writing Career!

udemy
4.5
(541)

Learn to Create a Full or Part-Time Income as a Freelance Article Writer!...

15. Git and GitHub for Writers

udemy
4.7
(1,024)

Not a software developer? Learn how to use Git and Git Hub version control in a course specifically designed for writers...

16. Tech Writers Master Class

udemy
4.4
(1,421)

Learn professional writing skills that will help you advance in your career...

17. Learn API Technical Writing 2: REST for Writers

udemy
4.6
(2,877)

API Documentation 2: Teaches technical writers how to document REST. No programming experience required...

18. Complete SEO Guide to Ranking Local Business Websites

udemy
4.4
(4,125)

Watch over my shoulder as I redesign and rank a real live client local business website on the 1st page of Google...

19. Learn API Technical Writing: JSON and XML for Writers

udemy
4.5
(10,540)

API Documentation 1: Teaches technical writers how to document structured data. No programming experience required...

20. Writing Proofreading Course: Proofread Punctuation & Grammar

udemy
4.2
(614)

Proofread Writing & Translation Like a Pro Be a Freelance Proofreader on Upwork Grasp Punctuation & Grammar...

Top 10 most affordable universities for feature writers

The most affordable schools for feature writers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for feature 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 feature writers.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

9. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for feature writers

The hardest universities for feature writers to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for feature 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 feature 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

9. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

10. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for feature writers

The easiest schools for feature writers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, saint joseph's college of maine, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a feature 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 feature writers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

Average feature writer salary by education level

According to our data, feature writers with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $37,608 annually. Feature writers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $37,356.
Feature writer education levelFeature writer salary
Master's Degree$37,356
Bachelor's Degree$37,608

Feature writer education FAQs

Search for feature writer jobs

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.

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs