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Writing tutor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a writing tutor. Writing tutors usually study english, writing, or psychology. 75% of writing tutors hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 7,378 real writing tutor resumes to see exactly what writing tutor education sections show.

The most common colleges for writing tutors are the New York University and the New York University.

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

What education do you need to become a writing tutor?

What degree do you need to be a writing tutor?

The most common degree for writing tutors is bachelor's degree, with 75% of writing tutors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 75%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Associate, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a writing tutor?

You should major in english to become a writing tutor. 38% of writing tutors major in english. Other common majors for a writing tutor include writing and psychology.

Most common colleges for writing tutors

Writing tutors often get their degrees at New York University, University of California, Santa Barbara, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Here are the most common colleges for writing tutors in the US based on their resumes.
Writing tutor common collegePercentages
New York University8.77%
University of California, Santa Barbara8.77%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey7.59%
University of California - Davis6.58%
Columbia College Chicago6.07%

Best majors for writing tutors

RankMajorPercentages
1English37.8%
2Writing11.2%
3Psychology7.3%
4History4.7%
5Communication4.1%

Best colleges for writing tutors

The best colleges for writing tutors are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A writing tutor 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 tutors. 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 tutors.

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

9. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

20 best online courses for writing tutors

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16. 15 Errors in Scientific Writing & How to Fix Them

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17. Research Methods For Business Students

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18. Basic English Writing

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Learn to write with confidence using well constructed sentences and paragraphs to convey your message more effectively...

19. Business Communication Skills: Business Writing & Grammar

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Professional communication skills: Business writing, English grammar, business English, email, and presentations skills...

20. English Writing Skills

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Improve your English Writing by building the skills you need for business, academic, or personal use...

Top 10 most affordable universities for writing tutors

The most affordable schools for writing tutors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for writing tutors 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 tutors.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

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 writing tutors

The hardest universities for writing tutors to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for writing tutors 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 tutors 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

10. Hamilton College

Clinton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

21%

SAT average

1,446

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for writing tutors

The easiest schools for writing tutors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur 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 writing tutor 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 tutors.

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. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

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 tutor salary by education level

According to our data, writing tutors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $28,687 annually. Writing tutors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $27,507.
Writing tutor education levelWriting tutor salary
Master's Degree$27,507
High School Diploma or Less$24,310
Bachelor's Degree$26,106
Doctorate Degree$28,687
Some College/ Associate Degree$25,464

Writing tutor 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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