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Television reporter education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a television reporter. Television reporters usually study communication, journalism, or agricultural public services. 80% of television reporters hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 212 real television reporter resumes to see exactly what television reporter education sections show.

The most common colleges for television reporters are the Northern Arizona University and the Northern Arizona University.

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

What education do you need to become a television reporter?

What degree do you need to be a television reporter?

The most common degree for television reporters is bachelor's degree, with 80% of television reporters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 80%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 6%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 0%

What should I major in to become a television reporter?

You should major in communication to become a television reporter. 29% of television reporters major in communication. Other common majors for a television reporter include journalism and agricultural public services.

Most common colleges for television reporters

Television reporters often get their degrees at Northern Arizona University, University of New Hampshire, and Syracuse University. Here are the most common colleges for television reporters in the US based on their resumes.
Television reporter common collegePercentages
Northern Arizona University9.30%
University of New Hampshire6.98%
Syracuse University4.65%
Washington State University4.65%
Emerson College4.65%

Best majors for television reporters

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication29.4%
2Journalism27.5%
3Agricultural Public Services5.2%
4English3.9%
5Educational Leadership3.3%

Best colleges for television reporters

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

A television 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 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 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 reporters

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1. Become a Journalist: Report the News!

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14. Event Management for Beginners

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15. Learn how to become an Event Planner

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16. LIGHTING for Film and Television

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18. SQL Server Reporting Services Part 1 (SSRS)

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20. Sustainability Reporting with GRI Standards

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Top 10 most affordable universities for television reporters

The most affordable schools for television 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 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 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 reporters

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

Some great schools for television 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 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 reporters

The easiest schools for television 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 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 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 reporter salary by education level

According to our data, television reporters with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $61,324 annually. Television reporters with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $58,874.
Television reporter education levelTelevision reporter salary
Master's Degree$61,324
Bachelor's Degree$58,874

Television 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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