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Lead editor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a lead editor. Lead editors usually study photography, english, or communication. 73% of lead editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,422 real lead editor resumes to see exactly what lead editor education sections show.
The most common colleges for lead editors are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.
There are also many online lead editor courses to help get the education required to be a lead editor.
What education do you need to become a lead editor?
What degree do you need to be a lead editor?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a lead editor?
- Photography, 23%
- English, 15%
- Communication, 12%
- Journalism, 9%
- Other Majors, 41%
Most common colleges for lead editors
| Lead editor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Full Sail University | 8.39% |
| New York University | 7.74% |
| University of Washington | 7.74% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.10% |
| University of North Texas | 5.81% |
Best majors for lead editors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 22.6% |
| 2 | English | 15.3% |
| 3 | Communication | 11.6% |
| 4 | Journalism | 9.1% |
| 5 | Writing | 6.2% |
Best colleges for lead editors
The best colleges for lead editors are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A lead 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 lead 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 lead editors.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for lead editors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead editors
The most affordable schools for lead editors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for lead 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 lead 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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
10. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lead editors
The hardest universities for lead editors to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for lead 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 lead 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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead editors
The easiest schools for lead editors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead 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 lead editors.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
9. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
10. Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,026
Average lead editor salary by education level
| Lead editor education level | Lead editor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $73,701 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $69,398 |
| Doctorate Degree | $77,007 |
Lead editor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025