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Poet education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a poet. Poets usually study english, writing, or communication. 62% of poets hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 261 real poet resumes to see exactly what poet education sections show.
The most common colleges for poets are the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa.
There are also many online poet courses to help get the education required to be a poet.
What education do you need to become a poet?
What degree do you need to be a poet?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 19%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a poet?
- English, 27%
- Writing, 15%
- Communication, 6%
- Psychology, 5%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for poets
| Poet common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Iowa | 8.57% |
| Brown University | 5.71% |
| Salem State University | 5.71% |
| University of the District of Columbia | 5.71% |
| Temple University | 5.71% |
Best majors for poets
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 27.4% |
| 2 | Writing | 14.5% |
| 3 | Communication | 5.6% |
| 4 | Psychology | 4.8% |
| 5 | Fine Arts | 4.8% |
Best colleges for poets
The best colleges for poets are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A poet with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for poets. 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 poets.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
8. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
9. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
10. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
20 best online courses for poets
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Top 10 most affordable universities for poets
The most affordable schools for poets are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for poets 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 poets.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
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 poets
The hardest universities for poets to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for poets 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 poets 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for poets
The easiest schools for poets to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a poet 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 poets.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
6. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
10. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
Average poet salary by education level
| Poet education level | Poet salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $52,419 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,285 |
| Doctorate Degree | $56,022 |
Poet education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025