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Fiction writer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a fiction writer. Fiction writers usually study english, history, or writing. 72% of fiction writers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 135 real fiction writer resumes to see exactly what fiction writer education sections show.
The most common colleges for fiction writers are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online fiction writer courses to help get the education required to be a fiction writer.
What education do you need to become a fiction writer?
What degree do you need to be a fiction writer?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a fiction writer?
- English, 26%
- History, 9%
- Writing, 9%
- Journalism, 6%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for fiction writers
| Fiction writer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 11.76% |
| Montclair State University | 8.82% |
| University of Southern California | 8.82% |
| Harvard University | 5.88% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 5.88% |
Best majors for fiction writers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 26.0% |
| 2 | History | 9.4% |
| 3 | Writing | 9.4% |
| 4 | Journalism | 6.3% |
| 5 | Psychology | 5.2% |
Best colleges for fiction writers
The best colleges for fiction writers are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A fiction 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 fiction 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 fiction 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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
4. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
9. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
20 best online courses for fiction writers
Advertising disclosure
1. Teaching Reluctant Writers
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3. Fiction for Young Writers (Writing Mastery)
A fun, interactive workshop to help young writers unlock their creativity, improve their craft, and write better stories...
4. Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy
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13. Conquering Writer's Block (Writing Mastery)
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14. Write A Book - Share Your Story
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15. Your Path To Writing a Page-Turner
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16. Writing: Book Writing: Creative Writing Skills: Punctuation
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17. Creative Writing For Beginners - Writing Creative Prose
Creative Writing For Beginners : Beginners Creative Writing Tips : Creative Writing : Writing Creative Prose - Beginners...
18. How to Write a Nonfiction Book That Actually Sells
The Step-by-Step System for Writing Non-fiction Books in 30 Days from #1 Bestselling Author Tom Corson-Knowles...
19. Become a Freelance Content Writer - Get Paid to Write Online
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20. Writing for Children
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Top 10 most affordable universities for fiction writers
The most affordable schools for fiction writers are USF Sarasota-Manatee, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for fiction 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 fiction writers.
1. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fiction writers
The hardest universities for fiction writers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for fiction 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 fiction 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fiction writers
The easiest schools for fiction writers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and la roche college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fiction 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 fiction writers.
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. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
8. Albertus Magnus College
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
931
9. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
10. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
Average fiction writer salary by education level
| Fiction writer education level | Fiction writer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $82,789 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $82,629 |
| Doctorate Degree | $87,036 |
Fiction writer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025