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Writer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a writer. Writers usually study english, journalism, or communication. 74% of writers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 26,963 real writer resumes to see exactly what writer education sections show.
The most common colleges for writers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online writer courses to help get the education required to be a writer.
There are certain writer certifications that you should consider. These writer certifications include Adobe Digital Publishing and Video Communication with Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 (Pr).
What education do you need to become a writer?
What degree do you need to be a writer?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a writer?
- English, 18%
- Journalism, 14%
- Communication, 14%
- Writing, 7%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for writers
| Writer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 10.46% |
| Temple University | 6.01% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 5.96% |
| Boston University | 5.96% |
| Michigan State University | 5.39% |
Best majors for writers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 18.2% |
| 2 | Journalism | 14.5% |
| 3 | Communication | 13.9% |
| 4 | Writing | 6.8% |
| 5 | Business | 6.3% |
Best colleges for writers
The best colleges for writers are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
A 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 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 writers.
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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
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. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for writers
Advertising disclosure
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4. Fiction for Young Writers (Writing Mastery)
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Top 10 most affordable universities for writers
The most affordable schools for writers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for 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 writers.
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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for writers
The hardest universities for 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 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 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
8. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for writers
The easiest schools for writers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and grand view university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a 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 writers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
4. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
5. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,026
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
Average writer salary by education level
| Writer education level | Writer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $69,847 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $69,694 |
| Doctorate Degree | $73,942 |
Writer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025