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Film editor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a film editor. Film editors usually study photography, communication, or fine arts. 68% of film editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,120 real film editor resumes to see exactly what film editor education sections show.
The most common colleges for film editors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online film editor courses to help get the education required to be a film editor.
There are certain film editor certifications that you should consider. These film editor certifications include Avid Certified Operator: Avid VENUE and Apple Certified Pro- Final Cut Pro X.
What education do you need to become a film editor?
What degree do you need to be a film editor?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Associate, 12%
- Master's, 9%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a film editor?
- Photography, 35%
- Communication, 17%
- Fine Arts, 6%
- English, 5%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for film editors
| Film editor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 10.08% |
| Full Sail University | 9.24% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 8.40% |
| University of California - Davis | 5.04% |
| University of Southern California | 5.04% |
Best majors for film editors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 34.9% |
| 2 | Communication | 17.0% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 6.0% |
| 4 | English | 5.2% |
| 5 | Audiovisual Communications Technologies | 4.2% |
Best colleges for film editors
The best colleges for film editors are Northwestern University, New York University, and Northeastern University.
A film 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 film 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 film editors.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. Texas State University
San Marcos, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,280
Enrollment
34,187
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for film editors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for film editors
The most affordable schools for film editors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for film 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 film 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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for film editors
The hardest universities for film editors to get into are Northwestern University, New York University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for film 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 film 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for film editors
The easiest schools for film editors to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a film 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 film editors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
9. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
Average film editor salary by education level
| Film editor education level | Film editor salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,985 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $49,699 |
Film editor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025