Best Editor programs in Kentucky, ranked by enrollment
Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material.
19 schools in Kentucky run programs that feed this job, graduating 327 people a year. The job pays a median of $59,430 in Kentucky across about 490 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Kentucky that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
9 programs in Kentucky that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Kentucky (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Kentucky page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Creative Writingmain feeder CIP 23.1302In Kentucky → | 69 | 21.1% | 7 | $28,725 | $25,250 |
| 2 | CIP 09.0402In Kentucky → | 68 | 20.8% | 3 | $34,515 | $24,250 |
| 3 | CIP 09.0401In Kentucky → | 67 | 20.5% | 5 | $34,515 | $24,250 |
| 4 | CIP 09.0100In Kentucky → | 62 | 19.0% | 6 | $34,858 | $25,000 |
| 5 | CIP 09.0102In Kentucky → | 34 | 10.4% | 5 | $34,858 | $25,000 |
| 6 | CIP 23.1303In Kentucky → | 15 | 4.6% | 3 | $28,725 | $25,250 |
| 7 | Rhetoric and Compositionmain feeder CIP 23.1304In Kentucky → | 10 | 3.1% | 2 | $28,725 | $25,250 |
| 8 | Writing, Generalmain feeder CIP 23.1301In Kentucky → | 1 | 0.3% | 1 | $28,725 | $25,250 |
| 9 | CIP 52.0501In Kentucky → | 1 | 0.3% | 1 | $41,000 | $26,000 |
Top 19 schools in Kentucky
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 7 of the 19 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY Public · 4 feeder programs | 59 | Journalism | $36,926 | 71% | — | 93% |
| 2 | Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY Public · 6 feeder programs | 49 | Broadcast Journalism | $29,647 | 52% | — | 68% |
| 3 | Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY Public · 4 feeder programs | 49 | Broadcast Journalism | $35,050 | 56% | — | 94% |
| 4 | Spalding University Louisville, KY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 31 | Creative Writing | — | 52% | $23,661 | 99% |
| 5 | Georgetown College Georgetown, KY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Communication, General | $35,442 | 49% | $12,666 | 91% |
| 6 | Murray State University Murray, KY Public · 2 feeder programs | 16 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | — | 61% | — | 86% |
| 7 | The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, KY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Communication, General | — | 40% | — | 56% |
| 8 | Berea College Berea, KY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | $30,663 | 58% | $5,274 | 19% |
| 9 | Alice Lloyd College Pippa Passes, KY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Communication, General | — | 39% | $18,384 | 75% |
| 10 | Asbury University Wilmore, KY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Communication, General | — | 65% | $19,816 | 63% |
| 11 | Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Creative Writing | — | 50% | — | 78% |
| 12 | Kentucky State University Frankfort, KY Public · 2 feeder programs | 10 | Broadcast Journalism | — | 32% | — | 96% |
| 13 | Lindsey Wilson University Columbia, KY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | $25,549 | 44% | $14,471 | — |
| 14 | Morehead State University Morehead, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Creative Writing | — | 52% | — | 77% |
| 15 | Thomas More University Crestview Hills, KY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Communication, General | — | 40% | $18,902 | 90% |
| 16 | Campbellsville University Campbellsville, KY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | — | 42% | $18,824 | 80% |
| 17 | University of Louisville Louisville, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Rhetoric and Composition | — | 61% | — | 79% |
| 18 | University of Pikeville Pikeville, KY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Communication, General | — | 42% | $13,886 | — |
| 19 | University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | $27,754 | 50% | $11,672 | 99% |
All 19 schools in Kentucky
Every school in Kentucky with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky | Lexington | Public | 59 | 4 |
| Northern Kentucky University | Highland Heights | Public | 49 | 6 |
| Western Kentucky University | Bowling Green | Public | 49 | 4 |
| Spalding University | Louisville | Private not-for-profit | 31 | 1 |
| Georgetown College | Georgetown | Private not-for-profit | 19 | 1 |
| Murray State University | Murray | Public | 16 | 2 |
| The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary | Louisville | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 1 |
| Berea College | Berea | Private not-for-profit | 13 | 1 |
| Alice Lloyd College | Pippa Passes | Private not-for-profit | 12 | 1 |
| Asbury University | Wilmore | Private not-for-profit | 12 | 2 |
| Eastern Kentucky University | Richmond | Public | 12 | 1 |
| Kentucky State University | Frankfort | Public | 10 | 2 |
| Lindsey Wilson University | Columbia | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 1 |
| Morehead State University | Morehead | Public | 7 | 1 |
| Thomas More University | Crestview Hills | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 1 |
What editors earn in Kentucky
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $77,920. Kentucky pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Kentucky
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Editors page.
How to become a Editor
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- Less than 5 years
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Kentucky
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 18 majors mapped to Editors18 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 09.0100Communication, General
- 09.0102Mass Communication/Media Studies
- 09.0401Journalism
- 09.0402Broadcast Journalism
- 09.0908Technical and Scientific Communication
- 09.1001Publishing
- 09.9999Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
- 23.1301Writing, General
- 23.1302Creative Writing
- 23.1303Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing
- 23.1304Rhetoric and Composition
- 23.1399Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Other
- 23.1401General Literature
- 23.1405Children's and Adolescent Literature
- 23.1499Literature, Other
- 52.0501Business/Corporate Communications, General
- 52.0502Grantsmanship
- 52.0599Business/Corporate Communications, Other
Common questions
Answers for people weighing editors programs in Kentucky.
What degree do you need to become an Editor?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Creative Writing, which awarded 69 degrees in Kentucky in 2024-25, 21.1% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Editor?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 9 programs to this occupation. The largest are Journalism, Communication and Media Studies, Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Business/Corporate Communications. Together they graduate about 327 people a year in Kentucky.
How much do editors earn in Kentucky?+
The median is $59,430 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 23.7% below the U.S. median of $77,920. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for editors growing?+
BLS projects a +0.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 9,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Kentucky?+
19 institutions in Kentucky reported graduates from at least one of the 9 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do editors work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Editor, News Editor, Sports Editor, Newspaper Copy Editor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-3041.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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