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Writing instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a writing instructor. Writing instructors usually study english, writing, or general education, specific areas. 61% of writing instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,869 real writing instructor resumes to see exactly what writing instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for writing instructors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online writing instructor courses to help get the education required to be a writing instructor.
What education do you need to become a writing instructor?
What degree do you need to be a writing instructor?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 31%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a writing instructor?
- English, 37%
- Writing, 13%
- Communication, 4%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for writing instructors
| Writing instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 10.46% |
| Brigham Young University | 7.11% |
| Teachers College of Columbia University | 7.11% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 5.86% |
| University of California - Davis | 5.44% |
Best majors for writing instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 37.0% |
| 2 | Writing | 12.8% |
| 3 | General Education, Specific Areas | 4.4% |
| 4 | Communication | 4.3% |
| 5 | Education | 4.1% |
Best colleges for writing instructors
The best colleges for writing instructors are Columbia University in the City of New York, Stanford University, and Washington University in St Louis.
A writing instructor 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 instructors. 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 instructors.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
9. University of California - San Diego
La Jolla, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,167
Enrollment
30,279
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
20 best online courses for writing instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for writing instructors
The most affordable schools for writing instructors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for writing instructors 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 instructors.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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 instructors
The hardest universities for writing instructors to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Stanford University, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for writing instructors 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 instructors 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for writing instructors
The easiest schools for writing instructors to get into are Our Lady of the Lake University, notre dame de namur university, and la roche college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a writing instructor 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 instructors.
1. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
4. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
5. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
6. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,069
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
9. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average writing instructor salary by education level
| Writing instructor education level | Writing instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $49,759 |
| Doctorate Degree | $59,931 |
Writing instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025