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Writing assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a writing assistant. Writing assistants usually study english, writing, or psychology. 73% of writing assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,194 real writing assistant resumes to see exactly what writing assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for writing assistants are the Monmouth University and the Monmouth University.

There are also many online writing assistant courses to help get the education required to be a writing assistant.

What education do you need to become a writing assistant?

What degree do you need to be a writing assistant?

The most common degree for writing assistants is bachelor's degree, with 73% of writing assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Associate, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a writing assistant?

You should major in english to become a writing assistant. 30% of writing assistants major in english. Other common majors for a writing assistant include writing and psychology.

Most common colleges for writing assistants

Writing assistants often get their degrees at Monmouth University, Oregon State University, and University of New Hampshire. Here are the most common colleges for writing assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Writing assistant common collegePercentages
Monmouth University7.10%
Oregon State University7.10%
University of New Hampshire6.45%
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire5.81%
New York University5.81%

Best majors for writing assistants

RankMajorPercentages
1English30.3%
2Writing10.0%
3Psychology6.6%
4Communication6.6%
5Business6.1%

Best colleges for writing assistants

The best colleges for writing assistants are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

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

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. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$55,453

Enrollment

4,312

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

9. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

In-state tuition

$55,466

Enrollment

6,752

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

20 best online courses for writing assistants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for writing assistants

The most affordable schools for writing assistants are USF Sarasota-Manatee, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for writing assistants 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 writing assistants.

1. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

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. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for writing assistants

The hardest universities for writing assistants to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for writing assistants 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 writing assistants 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Hamilton College

Clinton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

21%

SAT average

1,446

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

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 writing assistants

The easiest schools for writing assistants to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and la roche college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a writing assistant 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 writing assistants.

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. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

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. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

8. Albertus Magnus College

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

931

9. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

10. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

Average writing assistant salary by education level

According to our data, writing assistants with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $74,669 annually. Writing assistants with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $71,202.
Writing assistant education levelWriting assistant salary
Master's Degree$71,202
High School Diploma or Less$54,772
Bachelor's Degree$59,774
Doctorate Degree$74,669
Some College/ Associate Degree$56,293

Writing assistant 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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