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Newscaster education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a newscaster. Newscasters usually study communication, journalism, or english. 68% of newscasters hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 91 real newscaster resumes to see exactly what newscaster education sections show.

The most common colleges for newscasters are the University of Delaware and the University of Delaware.

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

What education do you need to become a newscaster?

What degree do you need to be a newscaster?

The most common degree for newscasters is bachelor's degree, with 68% of newscasters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Associate, 14%
  • Master's, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a newscaster?

You should major in communication to become a newscaster. 27% of newscasters major in communication. Other common majors for a newscaster include journalism and english.

Most common colleges for newscasters

Newscasters often get their degrees at University of Delaware, Teachers College of Columbia University, and Florida State University. Here are the most common colleges for newscasters in the US based on their resumes.
Newscaster common collegePercentages
University of Delaware8.33%
Teachers College of Columbia University8.33%
Florida State University8.33%
West Virginia University8.33%
Western Washington University4.17%

Best majors for newscasters

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication27.1%
2Journalism23.7%
3English5.1%
4Human Development3.4%
5Political Science3.4%

Best colleges for newscasters

The best colleges for newscasters are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Harvard University.

A newscaster with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for newscasters. 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 newscasters.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

20 best online courses for newscasters

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6. Jazz Chord Base: a new Approach for Jazz Chords on Guitar

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7. Adventures in Classical Music-Music Appreciation for All!

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16. Pianoforall - 'Classics By Ear' - Erik Satie

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Top 10 most affordable universities for newscasters

The most affordable schools for newscasters 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 newscasters 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 newscasters.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for newscasters

The hardest universities for newscasters to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for newscasters 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 newscasters 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for newscasters

The easiest schools for newscasters to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average newscaster salary by education level

According to our data, newscasters with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $68,447 annually. Newscasters with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $65,852.
Newscaster education levelNewscaster salary
Master's Degree$68,447
Bachelor's Degree$65,852

Newscaster 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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