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Sports correspondent education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sports correspondent. Sports correspondents usually study journalism, communication, or english. 84% of sports correspondents hold a bachelor's degree, and 7% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 326 real sports correspondent resumes to see exactly what sports correspondent education sections show.
The most common colleges for sports correspondents are the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
There are also many online sports correspondent courses to help get the education required to be a sports correspondent.
What education do you need to become a sports correspondent?
What degree do you need to be a sports correspondent?
- Bachelor's, 84%
- Associate, 7%
- Master's, 5%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a sports correspondent?
- Journalism, 35%
- Communication, 23%
- English, 7%
- Kinesiology, 4%
- Other Majors, 31%
Most common colleges for sports correspondents
| Sports correspondent common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | 11.76% |
| Emerson College | 7.35% |
| The University of Alabama | 7.35% |
| University of Connecticut | 5.88% |
| Syracuse University | 4.41% |
Best majors for sports correspondents
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Journalism | 35.3% |
| 2 | Communication | 22.6% |
| 3 | English | 7.2% |
| 4 | Kinesiology | 4.1% |
| 5 | Journalism And Mass Communications | 3.6% |
Best colleges for sports correspondents
The best colleges for sports correspondents are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northeastern University.
A sports correspondent with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for sports correspondents. 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 sports correspondents.
1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
2. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
20 best online courses for sports correspondents
Advertising disclosure
1. Sports Performance Analytics
Sports analytics has emerged as a field of research with increasing popularity propelled, in part, by the real-world success illustrated by the best-selling book and motion picture, Moneyball. Analysis of team and player performance data has continued to revolutionize the sports industry on the field, court, and ice as well as in living rooms among fantasy sports players and online sports gambling.\n\nDrawing from real data sets in Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball...
2. Sports Marketing
Today, there is demand for people skilled in Sports Marketing. Organizations want your expertise to strength and grow customer bases and teams want to enlarge their fan base, attract new sponsors to their sport, build strong programs with existing sponsors, and run their fan conventions and other events. In addition, a wide range of companies recognize the value sports relationships have in positioning and building their brands. In this Sports Marketing MOOC, you will learn: — Ticket pricing...
3. Introductory Sport Psychology
Developing sport psychology skills that you can use when you train, compete or coach...
4. Sport Psychology for Athletes
Master the fundamentals of sport psychology to improve performance and gain a mental edge...
5. Activism in Sports and Culture
Sports have become an ever-present reflection of American culture, and an important symbol of the divisions and alliances in our society. Sports and political change walk hand in hand in America. The way that athletes and institutions deal with questions of race, economic hardship, nationalism, and political ties have become central to the way that we understand ourselves and our society. And yet, there are those who would prefer their sports free of controversy and opinion. Dedicated athletes,...
6. Data Analytics in Sports Law and Management
Athletes, lawyers and team executive experts provide insight in how law and regulations intersect with data analytics and sports management techniques for best practices in the sports industry. Several courses provide the basis for how data analytics function within player evaluation, team performance, and roster management. The specialization introduces various regulatory, managerial and legal frameworks that includes athlete representation, facilities, and event management and conclude with...
7. Applied Sport Psychology and Leadership in Sport Certificate
Enhance your knowledge of sport psychology from an athlete or coach perspective with this comprehensive applied course...
8. Sports Nutrition for Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts
Learn all about sports nutrition with 7 hours of online video content and start training SMARTER instead of HARDER...
9. Prediction Models with Sports Data
In this course the learner will be shown how to generate forecasts of game results in professional sports using Python. The main emphasis of the course is on teaching the method of logistic regression as a way of modeling game results, using data on team expenditures. The learner is taken through the process of modeling past results, and then using the model to forecast the outcome games not yet played. The course will show the learner how to evaluate the reliability of a model using data on...
10. Sports Turf Management: Best Practices
The Sports Turf Management: Best Practices course will cover the construction, management, and challenges in maintaining athletic fields intended for football, soccer, and baseball. You will learn the fundamental management practices for maintaining athletic fields, such as fertilization, irrigation, mowing, and pest control. An overview of athletic field construction, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of native soil versus modified soil fields, will be provided. Lastly, you will...
11. Sports Management: The Essentials Course
A Comprehensive Overview at How the Sports Industry Operates and the Challenges Facing the Modern Sports Industry Today...
12. Sports Massage: The Technique Masterclass
Learn the most effective sports massage techniques for the entire body (2 CEUs)...
13. Introduction to Machine Learning in Sports Analytics
In this course students will explore supervised machine learning techniques using the python scikit learn (sklearn) toolkit and real-world athletic data to understand both machine learning algorithms and how to predict athletic outcomes. Building on the previous courses in the specialization, students will apply methods such as support vector machines (SVM), decision trees, random forest, linear and logistic regression, and ensembles of learners to examine data from professional sports leagues...
14. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Sports Nutrition
Learn About The Fundamentals Of Sport Nutrition Science And How To Fuel Your Athlete Client...
15. Ashiatsu or Shiatsu Barefoot Sports Massage Therapy
Let your feet do the work for you!...
16. Sports Massage: Positional Release Certificate Course
Learn Sports Massage Positional Release Techniques to produce profound pain relief and improve bodily function (2 CEUs)...
17. Sports Massage: Muscle Energy Technique Certificate Course
Grow your practice by learning sports massage the power of muscle energy techniques (2 CEUs)...
18. Sports & Action Photography For Beginners
A foundational course for beginner and novice level photographers who want to learn how to photograph dynamic subjects...
19. Introduction to Game Localization
Become a translator, tester or project manager specialized in gamelocalization and get paid for your gaming passion...
20. Become a Professional Football (Soccer) Coach
The Complete Guide on how to become a Professional Football (Soccer) Coach...
Top 10 most affordable universities for sports correspondents
The most affordable schools for sports correspondents are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for sports correspondents 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 sports correspondents.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
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 sports correspondents
The hardest universities for sports correspondents to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for sports correspondents 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 sports correspondents 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
5. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
8. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
10. Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA • Private
Admissions rate
36%
SAT average
1,330
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sports correspondents
The easiest schools for sports correspondents to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, wayland baptist university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sports correspondent 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 sports correspondents.
1. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
9. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
Average sports correspondent salary by education level
| Sports correspondent education level | Sports correspondent salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $36,146 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,931 |
Sports correspondent education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025