Post job

Magazine writer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a magazine writer. Magazine writers usually study journalism, english, or communication. 79% of magazine writers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 303 real magazine writer resumes to see exactly what magazine writer education sections show.

The most common colleges for magazine writers are the Ohio University and the Ohio University.

There are also many online magazine writer courses to help get the education required to be a magazine writer.

What education do you need to become a magazine writer?

What degree do you need to be a magazine writer?

The most common degree for magazine writers is bachelor's degree, with 79% of magazine writers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 10% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 79%
  • Master's, 10%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Doctorate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a magazine writer?

You should major in journalism to become a magazine writer. 21% of magazine writers major in journalism. Other common majors for a magazine writer include english and communication.

Most common colleges for magazine writers

Magazine writers often get their degrees at Ohio University, The University of Alabama, and Emerson College. Here are the most common colleges for magazine writers in the US based on their resumes.
Magazine writer common collegePercentages
Ohio University9.80%
The University of Alabama7.84%
Emerson College5.88%
Boston University5.88%
New York University5.88%

Best majors for magazine writers

RankMajorPercentages
1Journalism21.2%
2English13.5%
3Communication13.0%
4Business6.7%
5Writing5.2%

Best colleges for magazine writers

The best colleges for magazine writers are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Boston University.

A magazine 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 magazine 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 magazine 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

20 best online courses for magazine writers

Advertising disclosure

1. Create a Syllabus using Libre Writer

coursera

In this project, you will learn how to create a visually appealing course syllabus in Libre Writer. The key components of a course syllabus will be discussed. While adding these components to your document, you will use various features in Writer. You will apply styles, insert a bulleted list and a table to organize information, insert an image, and modify a table and image. Included Universal design formatting tips will describe options to help make your document accessible to all learners...

2. Teaching Reluctant Writers

coursera

All educators will encounter students who struggle with writing. This course first focuses on the reasons student writers may be reluctant and then provides learners with a variety of strategies and practices to help reluctant writers develop a greater comfort and confidence with writing. Learners will examine classroom relationships, mentoring, scaffolding, conferencing, low-risk writing and mini-lessons, all tools and techniques that can be brought right into the classroom to help struggling...

3. How to Find & Correct Writing Errors: The Proofreading Guide

udemy
4.2
(1,136)

Identify and Remove Embarrassing Mistakes from Documents...

4. Adobe Photoshop Photo Editing

udemy
4.2
(2,281)

Learn How to Edit Photos as we Learn all the Tools in Photoshop and then Finish out the Course with 3 Fun Projects...

5. Fiction for Young Writers (Writing Mastery)

udemy
4.7
(338)

A fun, interactive workshop to help young writers unlock their creativity, improve their craft, and write better stories...

6. The Complete Proofreading Course: Editing and Proofreading

udemy
4.3
(535)

Learn All Aspects of Proofreading Writing Editing Punctuation and Other Communication Strategies...

7. Certification in Editing and Proofreading - Masterclass

udemy
4
(476)

A comprehensive course for business / creative writing, copywriting, email writing, content writing, blogging etc...

8. Proofreading Power Basics

udemy
4.8
(959)

Learn to proofread from an experienced educator and subject matter expert...

9. Conquering Writer's Block (Writing Mastery)

udemy
4.5
(437)

Proven strategies and tools to overcome writer's block, renew your motivation, and write novels with confidence...

10. Writing Proofreading Course: Proofread Punctuation & Grammar

udemy
4.2
(614)

Proofread Writing & Translation Like a Pro Be a Freelance Proofreader on Upwork Grasp Punctuation & Grammar...

11. Learn Adobe InDesign: Design a Magazine and More in InDesign

udemy
4.7
(1,577)

Learn Adobe In Design CC essentials and editorial design. Master Adobe In Design for beginners by designing a magazine...

12. Adobe Lightroom CC Photo Editing: Your Lightroom Masterclass

udemy
4.5
(5,554)

Learn how to make your photos look amazing with this Adobe Lightroom Classic CC and Lightroom CC photo editing course...

13. The Easy Way to Write Short Stories That Sell

udemy
4.5
(384)

How to come up with and write short stories for magazines, ezines, book compilations and self-publishing with Amazon!...

14. Writing Short Stories: The Essential Guide

udemy
4.5
(1,124)

Discover how to create short fiction for magazines and other markets...

15. Adobe Photoshop CC For Beginners: Main Features Of Photoshop

udemy
4.4
(1,841)

Adobe Photoshop CC For Beginners: Resize Images, Add Text & Effects, Remove Acne or Objects, Delete Backgrounds & More...

16. Adobe Lightroom Classic CC & CC: Photo Editing Masterclass

udemy
4.2
(7,236)

Your complete guide to editing beautiful photos in Adobe Lightroom Classic CC and Adobe Lightroom CC, both versions!...

17. Adobe Photoshop CC: A Beginner to Advanced Photoshop Course

udemy
4.6
(21,143)

You can learn Adobe Photoshop CC. Graphic Design, Photo Editing & Retouching, Learn it all with this Photoshop class...

18. Adobe Photoshop CC Essentials Photoshop Retouching

udemy
4.6
(2,424)

This Adobe Photoshop masterclass will teach you Photoshop retouching + photo editing. Bonus: 7 Photoshop courses in 1...

19. Photoshop Beginners Mastery: Zero to Hero in Photoshop

udemy
4.5
(6,439)

Learn Photoshop quickly and easily with essentials of Adobe Photoshop to produce beautiful images in Adobe Photoshop...

20. Become a Freelance Content Writer - Get Paid to Write Online

udemy
4.8
(298)

Learn everything you need to know about becoming a freelance writer - Work from home!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for magazine writers

The most affordable schools for magazine writers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for magazine 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 magazine writers.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

9. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for magazine writers

The hardest universities for magazine writers to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for magazine 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 magazine 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

9. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

10. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for magazine writers

The easiest schools for magazine writers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, saint joseph's college of maine, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a magazine 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 magazine writers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

Average magazine writer salary by education level

According to our data, magazine writers with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $59,210 annually. Magazine writers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $58,674.
Magazine writer education levelMagazine writer salary
Master's Degree$58,674
Bachelor's Degree$59,210

Magazine writer education FAQs

Search for magazine writer jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs