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Tv news director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a tv news director. Tv news directors usually study communication, journalism, or photography. 72% of tv news directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 138 real tv news director resumes to see exactly what tv news director education sections show.

The most common colleges for tv news directors are the New York University and the New York University.

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

What education do you need to become a tv news director?

What degree do you need to be a tv news director?

The most common degree for tv news directors is bachelor's degree, with 72% of tv news directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Associate, 6%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a tv news director?

You should major in communication to become a tv news director. 17% of tv news directors major in communication. Other common majors for a tv news director include journalism and photography.

Most common colleges for tv news directors

Tv news directors often get their degrees at New York University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for tv news directors in the US based on their resumes.
Tv news director common collegePercentages
New York University10.71%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale10.71%
University of Houston7.14%
University of Massachusetts Amherst7.14%
University of Kansas7.14%

Best majors for tv news directors

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication17.2%
2Journalism16.1%
3Photography13.8%
4Marketing5.7%
5Digital Media5.7%

Best colleges for tv news directors

The best colleges for tv news directors are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

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

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

20 best online courses for tv news directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for tv news directors

The most affordable schools for tv news directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for tv news directors 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 tv news directors.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

8. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

10. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for tv news directors

The hardest universities for tv news directors to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for tv news directors 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 tv news directors 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for tv news directors

The easiest schools for tv news directors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and grand view university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a tv news director 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 tv news directors.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

Average tv news director salary by education level

According to our data, tv news directors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $60,107 annually. Tv news directors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $53,555.
Tv news director education levelTv news director salary
Master's Degree$60,107
Bachelor's Degree$53,555

Tv news director 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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