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Technical writer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a technical writer. Technical writers usually study english, business, or writing. 72% of technical writers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 35,421 real technical writer resumes to see exactly what technical writer education sections show.
The most common colleges for technical writers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online technical writer courses to help get the education required to be a technical writer.
There are certain technical writer certifications that you should consider. These technical writer certifications include Certified Technical Professional (CTP) and Certified Professional Technical Communicator - Expert (CPTC).
What education do you need to become a technical writer?
What degree do you need to be a technical writer?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 11%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a technical writer?
- English, 24%
- Business, 11%
- Writing, 8%
- Communication, 7%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for technical writers
| Technical writer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 9.31% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 8.06% |
| George Mason University | 5.69% |
| University of Houston | 5.45% |
| University of Washington | 5.40% |
Best majors for technical writers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 24.4% |
| 2 | Business | 11.4% |
| 3 | Writing | 7.8% |
| 4 | Communication | 7.5% |
| 5 | Journalism | 6.2% |
Best colleges for technical writers
The best colleges for technical writers are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and Northeastern University.
A 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 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 technical writers.
1. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
2. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
3. Texas State University
San Marcos, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,280
Enrollment
34,187
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
10. Emerson College
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$46,852
Enrollment
3,817
20 best online courses for technical writers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for technical writers
The most affordable schools for technical writers are University of Florida, brigham young university, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for 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 technical writers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
6. Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$7,879
Cost of attendance
21,223
7. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Cost of attendance
24,514
8. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Cost of attendance
24,718
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 technical writers
The hardest universities for technical writers to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for 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 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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
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. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,337
9. Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA • Private
Admissions rate
36%
SAT average
1,330
10. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for technical writers
The easiest schools for technical writers to get into are Saint Joseph's College of Maine, notre dame de namur university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a 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 technical writers.
1. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
7. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
8. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
9. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,069
10. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
Average technical writer salary by education level
| Technical writer education level | Technical writer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $67,906 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $68,272 |
Technical writer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025