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News photographer/editor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a news photographer/editor. News photographer/editors usually study communication, journalism, or photography. 78% of news photographer/editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 344 real news photographer/editor resumes to see exactly what news photographer/editor education sections show.

The most common colleges for news photographer/editors are the Drake University and the Drake University.

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

What education do you need to become a news photographer/editor?

What degree do you need to be a news photographer/editor?

The most common degree for news photographer/editors is bachelor's degree, with 78% of news photographer/editors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 78%
  • Associate, 13%
  • Master's, 6%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a news photographer/editor?

You should major in communication to become a news photographer/editor. 27% of news photographer/editors major in communication. Other common majors for a news photographer/editor include journalism and photography.

Most common colleges for news photographer/editors

News photographer/editors often get their degrees at Drake University, Auburn University Main Campus, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for news photographer/editors in the US based on their resumes.
News photographer/editor common collegePercentages
Drake University10.87%
Auburn University Main Campus6.52%
Pennsylvania State University6.52%
Point Park University6.52%
The John Marshall Law School4.35%

Best majors for news photographer/editors

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication26.9%
2Journalism21.2%
3Photography14.6%
4Computer Networking4.2%
5Digital Media4.2%

Best colleges for news photographer/editors

The best colleges for news photographer/editors are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A news photographer/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 news photographer/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 news photographer/editors.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

20 best online courses for news photographer/editors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for news photographer/editors

The most affordable schools for news photographer/editors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for news photographer/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 news photographer/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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

8. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

10. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for news photographer/editors

The hardest universities for news photographer/editors to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for news photographer/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 news photographer/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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for news photographer/editors

The easiest schools for news photographer/editors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and grand view university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a news photographer/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 news photographer/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. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

Average news photographer/editor salary by education level

According to our data, news photographer/editors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $60,151 annually. News photographer/editors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $56,863.
News photographer/editor education levelNews photographer/editor salary
Master's Degree$60,151
Bachelor's Degree$56,863

News photographer/editor education FAQs

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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.

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