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Journalism instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a journalism instructor. Journalism instructors usually study journalism, english, or communication. 68% of journalism instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 286 real journalism instructor resumes to see exactly what journalism instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for journalism instructors are the Arkansas State University and the Arkansas State University.
There are also many online journalism instructor courses to help get the education required to be a journalism instructor.
What education do you need to become a journalism instructor?
What degree do you need to be a journalism instructor?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a journalism instructor?
- Journalism, 35%
- English, 14%
- Communication, 14%
- Agricultural Public Services, 4%
- Other Majors, 33%
Most common colleges for journalism instructors
| Journalism instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Arkansas State University | 7.84% |
| Roosevelt University | 7.84% |
| Columbia College Chicago | 5.88% |
| Ohio State University | 5.88% |
| University of Arizona | 5.88% |
Best majors for journalism instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Journalism | 34.6% |
| 2 | English | 14.0% |
| 3 | Communication | 13.6% |
| 4 | Agricultural Public Services | 3.5% |
| 5 | Political Science | 3.5% |
Best colleges for journalism instructors
The best colleges for journalism instructors are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
A journalism instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for journalism instructors. 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 journalism instructors.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
9. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for journalism instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for journalism instructors
The most affordable schools for journalism instructors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for journalism instructors 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 journalism instructors.
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. 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 - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for journalism instructors
The hardest universities for journalism instructors to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for journalism instructors 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 journalism instructors 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for journalism instructors
The easiest schools for journalism instructors to get into are Barry University, gwynedd mercy university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a journalism instructor 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 journalism instructors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
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. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average journalism instructor salary by education level
| Journalism instructor education level | Journalism instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $47,503 |
| Doctorate Degree | $57,713 |
Journalism instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025