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Freelance journalist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a freelance journalist. Freelance journalists usually study journalism, english, or communication. 77% of freelance journalists hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,528 real freelance journalist resumes to see exactly what freelance journalist education sections show.
The most common colleges for freelance journalists are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online freelance journalist courses to help get the education required to be a freelance journalist.
What education do you need to become a freelance journalist?
What degree do you need to be a freelance journalist?
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 5%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a freelance journalist?
- Journalism, 28%
- English, 15%
- Communication, 15%
- Other Majors, 35%
Most common colleges for freelance journalists
| Freelance journalist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 11.11% |
| Boston University | 7.29% |
| American University | 6.94% |
| Temple University | 5.90% |
| Northwestern University | 5.56% |
Best majors for freelance journalists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Journalism | 27.8% |
| 2 | English | 15.1% |
| 3 | Communication | 14.9% |
| 4 | Political Science | 6.6% |
| 5 | Writing | 4.9% |
Best colleges for freelance journalists
The best colleges for freelance journalists are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Northeastern University.
A freelance journalist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for freelance journalists. 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 freelance journalists.
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 freelance journalists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for freelance journalists
The most affordable schools for freelance journalists 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 freelance journalists 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 freelance journalists.
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. 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. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
8. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for freelance journalists
The hardest universities for freelance journalists to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for freelance journalists 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 freelance journalists 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
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. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for freelance journalists
The easiest schools for freelance journalists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, university of the incarnate word, and rochester university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a freelance journalist 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 freelance journalists.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
9. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
10. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
Average freelance journalist salary by education level
| Freelance journalist education level | Freelance journalist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $51,315 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,225 |
| Doctorate Degree | $53,692 |
Freelance journalist 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