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Scientific technical writer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a scientific technical writer. Scientific technical writers usually study biology, chemistry, or journalism. 54% of scientific technical writers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 70 real scientific technical writer resumes to see exactly what scientific technical writer education sections show.
The most common colleges for scientific technical writers are the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
There are also many online scientific technical writer courses to help get the education required to be a scientific technical writer.
What education do you need to become a scientific technical writer?
What degree do you need to be a scientific technical writer?
- Bachelor's, 54%
- Master's, 17%
- Doctorate, 15%
- Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a scientific technical writer?
- Biology, 21%
- Chemistry, 11%
- Journalism, 9%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for scientific technical writers
| Scientific technical writer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 11.11% |
| Boston University | 11.11% |
| Oakland University | 7.41% |
| SUNY Buffalo State | 7.41% |
| University of Delaware | 7.41% |
Best majors for scientific technical writers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 21.3% |
| 2 | Chemistry | 10.6% |
| 3 | Journalism | 8.5% |
| 4 | Computer Applications | 6.4% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 6.4% |
Best colleges for scientific technical writers
The best colleges for scientific technical writers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A scientific technical writer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for scientific technical writers. 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 scientific technical writers.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
4. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. University of Georgia
Athens, GA ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
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 scientific technical writers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for scientific technical writers
The most affordable schools for scientific technical writers are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and university of south florida.
If the best universities for scientific technical writers 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 scientific technical writers.
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY ⢠Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for scientific technical writers
The hardest universities for scientific technical writers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for scientific technical writers 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 scientific technical writers 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY ⢠Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN ⢠Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA ⢠Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA ⢠Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA ⢠Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC ⢠Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY ⢠Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA ⢠Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for scientific technical writers
The easiest schools for scientific technical writers to get into are Barry University, d'youville college, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a scientific technical writer 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 scientific technical writers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL ⢠Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY ⢠Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA ⢠Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI ⢠Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME ⢠Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
6. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX ⢠Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH ⢠Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Kean University
Union, NJ ⢠Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ ⢠Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
10. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD ⢠Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,069
Average scientific technical writer salary by education level
| Scientific technical writer education level | Scientific technical writer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $82,321 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $82,811 |
Scientific technical writer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025