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Author Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an author. Authors usually study business, english, or psychology. 60% of authors hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 13,332 real author resumes to see exactly what author education sections show.
The most common colleges for authors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online author courses to help get the education required to be an author.
What education do you need to become an author?
What degree do you need to be an author?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 10%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become an author?
- Business, 14%
- English, 14%
- Psychology, 8%
- Communication, 7%
- Other Majors, 57%
Most common colleges for authors
Author Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 13.48% |
| New York University | 7.84% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.74% |
| Texas A&M University | 5.15% |
| University of Southern California | 5.02% |
Best majors for authors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 14.3% |
| 2 | English | 13.5% |
| 3 | Psychology | 8.0% |
| 4 | Communication | 7.4% |
| 5 | Journalism | 6.1% |
Best colleges for authors
The best colleges for authors are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
An author with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for authors. 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 authors.
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
20 best online courses for authors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for authors
The most affordable schools for authors 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 authors 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 authors.
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
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for authors
The hardest universities for authors to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for authors 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 authors 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
20%
SAT Average
1,419
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for authors
The easiest schools for authors 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 an author 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 authors.
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
R
4. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions Rate
100%
SAT Average
1,002
O
5. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
93%
SAT Average
1,002
Average author salary by education level
| Author education level | Author salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $82,161 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $82,005 |
| Doctorate Degree | $86,325 |
Author Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025