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News photojournalist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a news photojournalist. News photojournalists usually study communication, photography, or journalism. 82% of news photojournalists hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 243 real news photojournalist resumes to see exactly what news photojournalist education sections show.
The most common colleges for news photojournalists are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.
There are also many online news photojournalist courses to help get the education required to be a news photojournalist.
What education do you need to become a news photojournalist?
What degree do you need to be a news photojournalist?
- Bachelor's, 82%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a news photojournalist?
- Communication, 36%
- Photography, 17%
- Journalism, 13%
- Other Majors, 25%
Most common colleges for news photojournalists
| News photojournalist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Full Sail University | 10.53% |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | 5.26% |
| Arizona State University | 5.26% |
| Auburn University Main Campus | 5.26% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 5.26% |
Best majors for news photojournalists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 36.1% |
| 2 | Photography | 16.8% |
| 3 | Journalism | 13.4% |
| 4 | Audiovisual Communications Technologies | 9.2% |
| 5 | Computer Networking | 5.9% |
Best colleges for news photojournalists
The best colleges for news photojournalists are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University.
A news photojournalist 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 photojournalists. 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 photojournalists.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. Texas State University
San Marcos, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,280
Enrollment
34,187
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. American University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$48,459
Enrollment
7,485
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
20 best online courses for news photojournalists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for news photojournalists
The most affordable schools for news photojournalists 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 photojournalists 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 photojournalists.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
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 photojournalists
The hardest universities for news photojournalists to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for news photojournalists 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 photojournalists 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for news photojournalists
The easiest schools for news photojournalists 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 photojournalist 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 photojournalists.
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. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average news photojournalist salary by education level
| News photojournalist education level | News photojournalist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,804 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $60,464 |
News photojournalist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025