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Staff writer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a staff writer. Staff writers usually study journalism, communication, or english. 82% of staff writers hold a bachelor's degree, and 7% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 17,500 real staff writer resumes to see exactly what staff writer education sections show.
The most common colleges for staff writers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online staff writer courses to help get the education required to be a staff writer.
What education do you need to become a staff writer?
What degree do you need to be a staff writer?
- Bachelor's, 82%
- Associate, 7%
- Master's, 7%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a staff writer?
- Journalism, 25%
- Communication, 19%
- English, 17%
- Writing, 5%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for staff writers
| Staff writer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 8.77% |
| Florida State University | 7.01% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.52% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.52% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 6.31% |
Best majors for staff writers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Journalism | 24.9% |
| 2 | Communication | 18.8% |
| 3 | English | 17.5% |
| 4 | Writing | 5.4% |
| 5 | Political Science | 5.2% |
Best colleges for staff writers
The best colleges for staff writers are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Boston University.
A staff 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 staff 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 staff writers.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
20 best online courses for staff writers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for staff writers
The most affordable schools for staff writers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for staff 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 staff writers.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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 - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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. 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 staff writers
The hardest universities for staff writers to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for staff 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 staff 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
10. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for staff writers
The easiest schools for staff writers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, saint joseph's college of maine, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a staff 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 staff writers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
Average staff writer salary by education level
| Staff writer education level | Staff writer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $47,446 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,818 |
Staff writer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025