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Photo editor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a photo editor. Photo editors usually study photography, graphic design, or journalism. 75% of photo editors hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,047 real photo editor resumes to see exactly what photo editor education sections show.
The most common colleges for photo editors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online photo editor courses to help get the education required to be a photo editor.
What education do you need to become a photo editor?
What degree do you need to be a photo editor?
- Bachelor's, 75%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 5%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a photo editor?
- Photography, 25%
- Graphic Design, 14%
- Journalism, 13%
- Fine Arts, 11%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for photo editors
| Photo editor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.91% |
| School of Visual Arts | 9.04% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 7.87% |
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 6.41% |
| Columbia College Chicago | 6.12% |
Best majors for photo editors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 24.9% |
| 2 | Graphic Design | 14.5% |
| 3 | Journalism | 12.5% |
| 4 | Fine Arts | 10.7% |
| 5 | Communication | 9.4% |
Best colleges for photo editors
The best colleges for photo editors are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.
A photo 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 photo 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 photo editors.
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
20 best online courses for photo editors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for photo editors
The most affordable schools for photo editors are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for photo 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 photo editors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for photo editors
The hardest universities for photo editors to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for photo 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 photo 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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for photo editors
The easiest schools for photo editors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a photo 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 photo editors.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,026
Average photo editor salary by education level
| Photo editor education level | Photo editor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $70,180 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $64,012 |
| Doctorate Degree | $75,051 |
Photo editor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025