Post job

Managing editor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a managing editor. Managing editors usually study journalism, english, or communication. 81% of managing editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 12,039 real managing editor resumes to see exactly what managing editor education sections show.

The most common colleges for managing editors are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online managing editor courses to help get the education required to be a managing editor.

There are certain managing editor certifications that you should consider. These managing editor certifications include Adobe Digital Publishing and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM).

What education do you need to become a managing editor?

What degree do you need to be a managing editor?

The most common degree for managing editors is bachelor's degree, with 81% of managing editors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 81%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a managing editor?

You should major in journalism to become a managing editor. 25% of managing editors major in journalism. Other common majors for a managing editor include english and communication.

Most common colleges for managing editors

Managing editors often get their degrees at New York University, Temple University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for managing editors in the US based on their resumes.
Managing editor common collegePercentages
New York University9.21%
Temple University6.14%
Pennsylvania State University5.98%
Boston University5.98%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey5.64%

Best majors for managing editors

RankMajorPercentages
1Journalism24.5%
2English22.7%
3Communication13.6%
4Writing5.5%
5Political Science4.5%

Best colleges for managing editors

The best colleges for managing editors are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.

A managing 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 managing 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 managing editors.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

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 managing editors

Advertising disclosure

1. Practical Vim Editor Commands On Linux

coursera

Vim, or vi improved, is a standard editor on Linux. It comes with virtually every version of Linux out there and is available on Mac and Windows as well. If you are in a situation where you need to edit from the command line, for example when you ssh into another system, vim will be there. Vim is an ordinary text editor, like notepad. It inserts no special characters into the text document unless you tell it to. Vim has some powerful commands that make it fast and efficient. Vim also has a...

2. Manage and schedule content in Facebook Creator Studio

coursera

In this project, learners will learn how to manage and schedule your content in Facebook Creator Studio. Facebook Creator Studio has all of the tools that you need together, for you to be able to publish your content, manage it, monetize it and measure your content. You can do all of that for all of your Facebook pages and Instagram accounts. Facebook Creator Studio is the perfect tool to manage your social media presence completely free and in a platform that lets you do it all. In this...

3. New Manager's Five-week Success System: 25 Days > Management

udemy
4.5
(1,548)

You will succeed, with the 25 most important management skills and 100 top new manager tools, actions and behaviours...

4. Graphic Design Mastery- AI, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign

udemy
4.4
(4,233)

Graphic Design for beginners including Graphic Design Theories, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, AI & Creative Thinking...

5. Learn To Code Like a Pro With VI Editor

udemy
4.3
(380)

Master the powerful command line text editors VI and VIM and take your development skills to the next level...

6. Operations Management A-Z: Business Processes and Systems

udemy
4.6
(4,741)

Operations Management: Supply Chain & Business Processes in Industry for Manufacturing and Services Organizations...

7. 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...

8. Kickstart a Freelance Editor & Proofreader Career on Upwork

udemy
4.3
(1,089)

The Complete Guide to Satisfying Clients and Growing Your Freelancing Business...

9. Product Management Crash Course; IT Product Management

udemy
4.4
(593)

Product Management Essentials & Product Management Fundamentals to kick-start your career in Product Management...

10. Photoshop In-Depth: Master all of Photoshop's Tools Easily

udemy
4.8
(7,886)

Learn the many tools in Adobe Photoshop with in-depth lectures that explain the tool uses, options + modes in Photoshop...

11. BMS - Building management system

udemy
4.1
(295)

BMS, building management system & building automation systems study , design and calculations...

12. Product Management A-Z: Hands-On, Real-World Simulation 2023

udemy
4.6
(1,882)

From Beginner to Modern Product Manager with Just One Course!...

13. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design

udemy
4.7
(55,714)

The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...

14. Product Design Management for Agile Practitioners

udemy
4.5
(1,111)

Application of product design management principles, concepts, tools and techniques in agile product management...

15. Graphic Design Masterclass: Learn Graphic Design in Projects

udemy
4.5
(2,609)

Graphic design principles, typography, & color mastery using Illustrator, In Design, and Photoshop. For beginners & more!...

16. 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!...

17. Operations Management: Facilities Planning and Management

udemy
4.4
(357)

Operations Management Training Program (Course 8 of 8)...

18. Adobe Photoshop Mega Course-From Beginner to Super Designer

udemy
4.4
(1,769)

Adobe Photoshop CC 2021 - Master Photoshop Like a Pro Designer...

19. Project Management With MS Project - Scheduling Master Class

udemy
4.5
(4,297)

Managing projects with Microsoft Project? Learn project management, planning, scheduling, and tracking best practices...

20. Complete Introduction to Power BI Query Editor

udemy
4.7
(2,961)

Learn how to import, transform and prepare data using the Query Editor in Microsoft Power BI...

Top 10 most affordable universities for managing editors

The most affordable schools for managing 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 managing 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 managing 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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for managing editors

The hardest universities for managing editors to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for managing 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 managing 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

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. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for managing editors

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

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

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

4. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

5. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

6. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,026

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average managing editor salary by education level

According to our data, managing editors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $102,096 annually. Managing editors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $96,808.
Managing editor education levelManaging editor salary
Master's Degree$96,808
Bachelor's Degree$90,001
Doctorate Degree$102,096

Managing editor education FAQs

Search for managing editor 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