Publisher education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a publisher?

You need a high school diploma to be a publisher. There are no formal education requirements to become a publisher. However, most publishing companies typically prefer to hire people with bachelor's degrees. If you are interested in entering the world of publishing, then it would be a good idea to have a bachelor's degree in one of the following: literature Marketing Business Journalism Creative writing In order to be more competitive in the job market, you'll need to either obtain your master's degree or gain some on-the-job experience. Even though a master's degree would make you more competitive, it is not necessary. Most publishers only have a bachelor's degree. Few hold a master's degree, and few even have only an associate's degree. Very few have only a high school diploma.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a publisher. Publishers usually study business, journalism, or communication. 72% of publishers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,461 real publisher resumes to see exactly what publisher education sections show.

The most common colleges for publishers are the New York University and the New York University.

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

There are certain publisher certifications that you should consider. These publisher certifications include Adobe Digital Publishing and Professional Certified Marketer (PCM).

What education do you need to become a publisher?

What degree do you need to be a publisher?

The most common degree for publishers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of publishers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 10% and master's degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 72%

Master's, 10%

Associate, 10%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a publisher?

You should major in business to become a publisher. 20% of publishers major in business. Other common majors for a publisher include journalism and communication.

Business, 20%

Journalism, 11%

Communication, 10%

English, 9%

Other Majors, 50%

Most common colleges for publishers

Publishers often get their degrees at New York University, Northwestern University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for publishers in the US based on their resumes.

Publisher common college	Percentages
New York University	9.14%
Northwestern University	6.09%
University of Maryland - College Park	6.09%
University of Iowa	6.09%
Boston University	6.09%

Show more common publisher colleges

Best majors for publishers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	19.5%
2	Journalism	10.9%
3	Communication	10.1%
4	English	8.8%
5	Marketing	7.8%

Show more common publisher majors

Best colleges for publishers

The best colleges for publishers are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.

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

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$41,870

Enrollment

8,200

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for publishers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for publishers

The most affordable schools for publishers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for publishers 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 publishers.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for publishers

The hardest universities for publishers to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for publishers 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 publishers 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

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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

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

The easiest schools for publishers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, holy names university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

10. Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,026

Average publisher salary by education level

Publishers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $85,519 annually. With a Master's degree, publishers earn a median annual income of $79,778 compared to $72,529 for publishers with an Bachelor's degree.

Publisher education level	Publisher salary
Master's Degree	$79,778
Bachelor's Degree	$72,529
Doctorate Degree	$85,519

Publisher education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a publisher?

What is the best college for Publishers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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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