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News camera operator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a news camera operator. News camera operators usually study communication, journalism, or photography. 76% of news camera operators hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 85 real news camera operator resumes to see exactly what news camera operator education sections show.
The most common colleges for news camera operators are the New York Institute of Technology and the New York Institute of Technology.
There are also many online news camera operator courses to help get the education required to be a news camera operator.
What education do you need to become a news camera operator?
What degree do you need to be a news camera operator?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Associate, 15%
- Diploma, 4%
- Master's, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a news camera operator?
- Communication, 25%
- Journalism, 13%
- Photography, 12%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for news camera operators
| News camera operator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York Institute of Technology | 8.70% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 8.70% |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 8.70% |
| Stockton University | 4.35% |
| Louisiana State University and A&M College | 4.35% |
Best majors for news camera operators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 25.0% |
| 2 | Journalism | 13.3% |
| 3 | Photography | 11.7% |
| 4 | Audiovisual Communications Technologies | 8.3% |
| 5 | Business | 6.7% |
Best colleges for news camera operators
The best colleges for news camera operators are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Northeastern University.
A news camera operator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for news camera operators. 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 news camera operators.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
20 best online courses for news camera operators
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Top 10 most affordable universities for news camera operators
The most affordable schools for news camera operators are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for news camera operators 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 news camera operators.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for news camera operators
The hardest universities for news camera operators to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for news camera operators 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 news camera operators 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for news camera operators
The easiest schools for news camera operators to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a news camera operator 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 news camera operators.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
10. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
Average news camera operator salary by education level
| News camera operator education level | News camera operator salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $81,786 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $75,884 |
News camera operator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025