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Music journalist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a music journalist. Music journalists usually study communication, english, or photography. 73% of music journalists hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 228 real music journalist resumes to see exactly what music journalist education sections show.
The most common colleges for music journalists are the The Evergreen State College and the The Evergreen State College.
There are also many online music journalist courses to help get the education required to be a music journalist.
What education do you need to become a music journalist?
What degree do you need to be a music journalist?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Associate, 12%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a music journalist?
- Communication, 17%
- English, 13%
- Photography, 7%
- Journalism, 7%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for music journalists
| Music journalist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| The Evergreen State College | 7.89% |
| Ithaca College | 7.89% |
| Kent State University | 7.89% |
| Ashford University | 7.89% |
| Brown University | 5.26% |
Best majors for music journalists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 16.9% |
| 2 | English | 13.1% |
| 3 | Photography | 6.9% |
| 4 | Journalism | 6.9% |
| 5 | Psychology | 5.4% |
Best colleges for music journalists
The best colleges for music journalists are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A music 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 music 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 music journalists.
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. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for music journalists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for music journalists
The most affordable schools for music journalists are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for music 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 music journalists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for music journalists
The hardest universities for music journalists to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for music 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 music 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for music journalists
The easiest schools for music journalists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a music 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 music journalists.
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. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
Average music journalist salary by education level
| Music journalist education level | Music journalist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $67,629 |
| Doctorate Degree | $84,066 |
Music journalist 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