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Television news reporter education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a television news reporter. Television news reporters usually study journalism, communication, or public relations. 89% of television news reporters hold a bachelor's degree, and 6% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 200 real television news reporter resumes to see exactly what television news reporter education sections show.

The most common colleges for television news reporters are the Georgia Southern University and the Georgia Southern University.

There are also many online television news reporter courses to help get the education required to be a television news reporter.

What education do you need to become a television news reporter?

What degree do you need to be a television news reporter?

The most common degree for television news reporters is bachelor's degree, with 89% of television news reporters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 6% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 89%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 0%

What should I major in to become a television news reporter?

You should major in journalism to become a television news reporter. 26% of television news reporters major in journalism. Other common majors for a television news reporter include communication and public relations.

Most common colleges for television news reporters

Television news reporters often get their degrees at Georgia Southern University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for television news reporters in the US based on their resumes.
Television news reporter common collegePercentages
Georgia Southern University6.82%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale6.82%
University of California - Davis6.82%
University of Southern California6.82%
Syracuse University4.55%

Best majors for television news reporters

RankMajorPercentages
1Journalism26.1%
2Communication26.1%
3Public Relations5.8%
4Digital Media5.1%
5Political Science3.6%

Best colleges for television news reporters

The best colleges for television news reporters are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Northeastern University.

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

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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for television news reporters

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Top 10 most affordable universities for television news reporters

The most affordable schools for television news reporters are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for television news reporters 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 television news reporters.

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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

9. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for television news reporters

The hardest universities for television news reporters to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for television news reporters 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 television news reporters 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

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. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

6. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for television news reporters

The easiest schools for television news reporters to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, notre dame de namur university, and rochester university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a television news reporter 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 television news reporters.

1. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

4. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

5. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average television news reporter salary by education level

According to our data, television news reporters with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $60,755 annually. Television news reporters with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $58,497.
Television news reporter education levelTelevision news reporter salary
Master's Degree$60,755
Bachelor's Degree$58,497

Television news reporter education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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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