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Television writer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a television writer. Television writers usually study theatre, journalism, or writing. 74% of television writers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 98 real television writer resumes to see exactly what television writer education sections show.
The most common colleges for television writers are the Howard University and the Howard University.
There are also many online television writer courses to help get the education required to be a television writer.
What education do you need to become a television writer?
What degree do you need to be a television writer?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 6%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a television writer?
- Theatre, 12%
- Journalism, 12%
- Writing, 12%
- Photography, 11%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for television writers
| Television writer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Howard University | 17.24% |
| Syracuse University | 6.90% |
| Harvard University | 6.90% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.90% |
| Arizona State University | 6.90% |
Best majors for television writers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theatre | 12.3% |
| 2 | Journalism | 12.3% |
| 3 | Writing | 12.3% |
| 4 | Photography | 10.8% |
| 5 | English | 10.8% |
Best colleges for television writers
The best colleges for television writers are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
A television 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 television 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 television writers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
20 best online courses for television writers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for television writers
The most affordable schools for television writers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, baruch college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.
If the best universities for television 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 television writers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for television writers
The hardest universities for television writers to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for television 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 television 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for television writers
The easiest schools for television writers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a television 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 television writers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average television writer salary by education level
| Television writer education level | Television writer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $58,979 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $58,856 |
| Doctorate Degree | $62,270 |
Television writer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025