Post job

Travel journalist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a travel journalist. Travel journalists usually study journalism, communication, or zoology. 95% of travel journalists hold a bachelor's degree, and 5% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 33 real travel journalist resumes to see exactly what travel journalist education sections show.

The most common colleges for travel journalists are the Arizona State University and the Arizona State University.

There are also many online travel journalist courses to help get the education required to be a travel journalist.

What education do you need to become a travel journalist?

What degree do you need to be a travel journalist?

  • Bachelor's, 95%
  • Associate, 5%

What should I major in to become a travel journalist?

You should major in journalism to become a travel journalist. 28% of travel journalists major in journalism. Other common majors for a travel journalist include communication and zoology.

Most common colleges for travel journalists

Travel journalists often get their degrees at Arizona State University, Western Washington University, and Southern Methodist University. Here are the most common colleges for travel journalists in the US based on their resumes.
Travel journalist common collegePercentages
Arizona State University10.53%
Western Washington University5.26%
Southern Methodist University5.26%
San Francisco State University5.26%
Baruch College of the City University of New York5.26%

Best majors for travel journalists

RankMajorPercentages
1Journalism28.0%
2Communication12.0%
3Zoology8.0%
4English8.0%
5History4.0%

Best colleges for travel journalists

The best colleges for travel journalists are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Washington University in St Louis.

A travel journalist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for travel journalists. 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 travel journalists.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

20 best online courses for travel journalists

Advertising disclosure

1. Become a Journalist: Report the News!

coursera

This Specialization will develop and enhance your understanding of the global field of journalism. You'll learn best practices and ethical standards for newsgathering processes and compiling a news report through hands-on projects, peer-to-peer feedback, and issue exploration. You will also study journalism's impact on societal issues and trends, plus explore career opportunities in newspapers, magazine, social media, Internet multimedia, television, radio, corporate and community journalism...

2. International Travel Preparation, Safety, & Wellness

coursera

Whether you've traveled before or not, living and working overseas can be challenging. Learn how best to prepare and make the most of your time internationally. This course will prepare you to work and live overseas. It explores the epidemiology of common morbidity and mortality among travelers and examines key prevention, safety, and travel medicine principles and services to contextualize risks and maintain wellness. The course reviews applicable interventions, appropriate vaccines, and...

3. Travel Writing: Explore the World & Publish Your Stories!

udemy
4.7
(1,551)

Highest Rated Travel Writing Course ~ Ranked #4 on Buzzfeeds List of 23 of the Coolest Online Classes on this website...

4. How to be a Journalist - The Complete Guide to Journalism

udemy
4.6
(888)

All you need to know to become a freelance journalist or staffer and get paid for what you write...

5. Travel Management Course (Skill-Based)

udemy
4.3
(396)

#1 Travel Management Course in the Industry .All you need to know to step into the Travel & Tourism Sector...

6. TRAVEL Hacking for Beginners: Cheap, Smart & Safe Travel

udemy
4.5
(306)

60+ World Travel Tips: Cheap Travel. Fear of Flying. Travel Motivation & Safety. Negotiation. Social Success Abroad...

7. How to get Paid to Travel The World

udemy
4.1
(601)

Build an online brand from scratch and get paid to travel the world Full Time...

8. Travel Journaling: How to Write Extraordinary Travel Diaries

udemy
4.5
(1,048)

From the author of Globejotting: How to Write Extraordinary Travel Journals (and still have time to enjoy your trip!)...

9. Executive Travel Planning for Virtual Assistants

udemy
4.6
(412)

Manage flights, hotels, and car services for corporate travel like a pro! PLUS travel changes during a global crisis...

10. Travel Photography: Take Beautiful Photos on Your Adventures

udemy
4.4
(454)

Capture amazing photos with our complete A-Z guide to travel photography: Equipment, Shooting, Editing, Sharing...

11. Travel! The Ultimate Crash Course to Living on the Road

udemy
4.7
(597)

How You Can Afford a Life of Travel and Adventure!...

12. DIGITAL NOMAD MASTERY - How to Travel The World for Free

udemy
4.3
(302)

How You Can Explore the World in Luxury or On a Shoestring as a Digital Nomad...

13. Digital Marketing Course 2023: Be a Digital Marketing Nomad

udemy
4.5
(746)

Learn Digital Marketing, Copywriting, Ads, SEO, Video Creation. Become a Digital Marketing Nomad. Freelance and Travel...

14. Start Your Traveling Ministry - Itinerant and Evangelistic

udemy
4.6
(390)

Ministry Training Institute. How do you get started with a traveling ministry?...

15. How to Become a DJ - Learn How to Start DJing Online Today

udemy
4.6
(4,700)

Professional DJ School - 11 hours of high-quality content. Former students on: Armada, Spinnin, Ultra, Revealed, & more!...

16. Travel Hacking and Credit Card Reward Basics!

udemy
4.4
(263)

Credit cards offer HUGE sign up bonuses!...

17. Press Coverage, Publicity & Public Relations For Branding

udemy
4.3
(496)

Public relations to reach 100,000+ people with influencer marketing, publicity, and press coverage for personal branding...

18. Crash Course Digital Electronics

udemy
4.5
(350)

Master Digital Electronics and Robotics. Go from Zero to building a real CPU !...

19. Modern PR - How To Get Press Coverage For Your Business

udemy
4.5
(1,398)

A proven public relations / PR system to get press coverage for your company or product, from a journalist's perspective...

20. Learn How to Become a DJ with Traktor

udemy
4.2
(864)

Learn How to Become a DJ in no time. Including basic mixing techniques you can use with any DJ Software. With Captions!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for travel journalists

The most affordable schools for travel journalists are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for travel journalists 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 travel journalists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

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 - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for travel journalists

The hardest universities for travel journalists to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Washington University in St Louis.

Some great schools for travel journalists 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 travel journalists 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for travel journalists

The easiest schools for travel journalists to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a travel journalist 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 travel journalists.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

8. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

9. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average travel journalist salary by education level

According to our data, travel journalists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $104,913 annually. Travel journalists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $99,644.
Travel journalist education levelTravel journalist salary
Master's Degree$104,913
Bachelor's Degree$99,644

Travel journalist education FAQs

Search for travel journalist jobs

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.

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs