Best Editor programs in Massachusetts, ranked by enrollment
Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material.
39 schools in Massachusetts run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,587 people a year. The job pays a median of $83,170 in Massachusetts across about 3,100 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Massachusetts that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
14 programs in Massachusetts that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Massachusetts (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 Massachusetts page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Creative Writingmain feeder CIP 23.1302In Massachusetts → | 467 | 29.4% | 19 | $28,725 | $25,250 |
| 2 | CIP 09.0100In Massachusetts → | 449 | 28.3% | 15 | $34,858 | $25,000 |
| 3 | CIP 09.0401In Massachusetts → | 377 | 23.8% | 9 | $34,515 | $24,250 |
| 4 | CIP 09.0102In Massachusetts → | 115 | 7.2% | 14 | $34,858 | $25,000 |
| 5 | CIP 52.0501In Massachusetts → | 73 | 4.6% | 2 | $41,000 | $26,000 |
| 6 | Publishingmain feeder CIP 09.1001In Massachusetts → | 33 | 2.1% | 1 | $17,585 | $27,000 |
| 7 | CIP 23.1303In Massachusetts → | 21 | 1.3% | 2 | $28,725 | $25,250 |
| 8 | CIP 23.1399In Massachusetts → | 15 | 0.9% | 2 | $28,725 | $25,250 |
| 9 | CIP 09.9999In Massachusetts → | 14 | 0.9% | 2 | $36,931 | $24,500 |
| 10 | Writing, Generalmain feeder CIP 23.1301In Massachusetts → | 6 | 0.4% | 2 | $28,725 | $25,250 |
| 11 | Children's and Adolescent Literaturemain feeder CIP 23.1405In Massachusetts → | 6 | 0.4% | 1 | $23,868 | $26,552 |
| 12 | CIP 09.0402In Massachusetts → | 6 | 0.4% | 1 | $34,515 | $24,250 |
| 13 | CIP 09.0908In Massachusetts → | 3 | 0.2% | 1 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 14 | Literature, Othermain feeder CIP 23.1499In Massachusetts → | 2 | 0.1% | 1 | $23,868 | $26,552 |
Top 25 schools in Massachusetts
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 11 of the 39 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emerson College Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 344 | Creative Writing | $33,441 | 77% | $40,982 | 51% |
| 2 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 5 feeder programs | 279 | Communication, General | $36,380 | 83% | — | 60% |
| 3 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 226 | Journalism | $42,857 | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 4 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 159 | Creative Writing | — | 98% | $15,013 | 4% |
| 5 | Merrimack College North Andover, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 76 | Communication, General | $29,527 | 70% | $33,877 | 70% |
| 6 | University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA Public · 2 feeder programs | 67 | Communication, General | $42,480 | 49% | — | 84% |
| 7 | Northeastern University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 47 | Journalism | $51,855 | 91% | $18,925 | 5% |
| 8 | Suffolk University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 33 | Journalism | $33,628 | 61% | $28,895 | 82% |
| 9 | Worcester State University Worcester, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 32 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | $34,235 | 61% | — | 88% |
| 10 | Dean College Franklin, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 29 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | — | 54% | $28,874 | 74% |
| 11 | Bentley University Waltham, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 28 | Business/Corporate Communications, General | $57,141 | 87% | $31,677 | 45% |
| 12 | University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA Public · 3 feeder programs | 28 | Communication, General | — | 52% | — | 91% |
| 13 | Lesley University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 27 | Creative Writing | — | 58% | $30,837 | 97% |
| 14 | Clark University Worcester, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Communication, General | — | 77% | $23,332 | 40% |
| 15 | Fisher College Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | $38,510 | 28% | $26,273 | 71% |
| 16 | Simmons University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 15 | Children's and Adolescent Literature | — | 72% | $24,848 | 70% |
| 17 | Endicott College Beverly, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Communication, General | $36,233 | 76% | $34,195 | 71% |
| 18 | Salem State University Salem, MA Public · 3 feeder programs | 13 | Creative Writing | — | 50% | — | 96% |
| 19 | Western New England University Springfield, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 13 | Creative Writing | — | 64% | $29,327 | 83% |
| 20 | Bay Path University Longmeadow, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Creative Writing | — | 44% | $16,859 | 85% |
| 21 | Holyoke Community College Holyoke, MA Public · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Creative Writing | — | 29% | — | — |
| 22 | Hampshire College Amherst, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 11 | Creative Writing | — | 54% | $22,968 | 75% |
| 23 | Wellesley College Wellesley, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Creative Writing | — | 92% | $19,292 | 14% |
| 24 | Bunker Hill Community College Boston, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Creative Writing | — | 13% | — | — |
| 25 | Lasell University Newton, MA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 9 | Creative Writing | — | 59% | $23,724 | 81% |
All 39 schools in Massachusetts
Every school in Massachusetts 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerson College | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 344 | 3 |
| University of Massachusetts - Amherst | Amherst | Public | 279 | 5 |
| Boston University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 226 | 5 |
| Harvard University | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | 159 | 3 |
| Merrimack College | North Andover | Private not-for-profit | 76 | 1 |
| University of Massachusetts - Boston | Boston | Public | 67 | 2 |
| Northeastern University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 47 | 2 |
| Suffolk University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 33 | 2 |
| Worcester State University | Worcester | Public | 32 | 1 |
| Dean College | Franklin | Private not-for-profit | 29 | 2 |
| Bentley University | Waltham | Private not-for-profit | 28 | 2 |
| University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth | North Dartmouth | Public | 28 | 3 |
| Lesley University | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | 27 | 1 |
| Clark University | Worcester | Private not-for-profit | 18 | 1 |
| Fisher College | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 15 | 1 |
What editors earn in Massachusetts
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $77,920. Massachusetts pays above the national figure.
Concentrated here: Massachusetts employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Massachusetts
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 Massachusetts
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 Massachusetts.
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 467 degrees in Massachusetts in 2024-25, 29.4% 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 14 programs to this occupation. The largest are Communication and Media Studies, Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Journalism, Business/Corporate Communications, plus 4 more. Together they graduate about 1,587 people a year in Massachusetts.
How much do editors earn in Massachusetts?+
The median is $83,170 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 6.7% above 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 Massachusetts?+
39 institutions in Massachusetts reported graduates from at least one of the 14 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
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card