Want to turn your passion for writing into a career? Discover the best degrees for writers and what to study for a successful writing career. Writing is one of those careers where a degree can help, but it does not automatically make you a writer. A person can graduate with a degree in English and struggle to produce a compelling article, while someone with a computer science or history degree may build a successful career writing about technology, research, or culture. That is why choosing among the best degrees for writers requires more than asking which major includes the most writing classes.
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The better question is, what type of writing do you want to do, and what knowledge will make you more valuable in that field? English and creative writing are obvious choices for aspiring authors, but journalism, communications, marketing, technical communication, history, philosophy, political science, and specialized fields such as computer science can also provide excellent foundations. This guide examines 10 of the best degrees for writers, the skills they develop, the types of writing careers they support, and the situations in which each degree makes the most sense.
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Do You Need a Degree to Become a Writer?
The honest answer is no and anyone who tells you otherwise is probably selling something. There is no licensing board for novelists. No accreditation body for poets. No minimum credential required to build a freelance writing career, launch a content business, or publish the book you have been thinking about for years. In writing, the work is the credential.
Your portfolio, your consistency, your ability to understand an audience and deliver what they need — these things carry more weight with editors, clients, and publishers than any diploma hanging on your wall. That said, dismissing formal education entirely would be its own mistake. The best degrees for writers are not about satisfying a gatekeeping requirement.
They are about accelerating your development in ways that self-directed learning often cannot replicate: structured writing practice with genuine deadlines, feedback from faculty who have done the work themselves, exposure to literature across periods and traditions that expands your range, editing experience that sharpens your critical eye, and professional networks that open doors before you have the portfolio to open them yourself.
Some writing careers also carry legitimate educational requirements that go beyond craft. Technical writers frequently need deep familiarity with engineering, medicine, software, or another specialized domain in addition to clear prose. Grant writers need to understand nonprofit finance. Science journalists need enough subject matter fluency to ask the right questions and catch the wrong answers.
The principle that governs all of it is this: a degree is a tool, not a guarantee. Graduate with an expensive credential and no portfolio, no practical experience, and no understanding of how the writing market actually works, and the diploma will not save you. Use the degree as the accelerant it is designed to be, and it can meaningfully compress the time between starting and succeeding.
How to Choose the Right Degree for a Writing Career
Before you research programs, research yourself. The best degrees for writers are not universal they are specific to what you actually want to write, who you want to write for, and what kind of career you want to build around that writing. Here is how to think through each variable:
Type of Writing: This is the first and most important question, and most prospective students skip it entirely in favor of researching schools. A fantasy novelist and a software documentation specialist both write for a living and they need almost entirely different educational foundations to do it well. Identify whether your interests run toward fiction, poetry, journalism, copywriting, content writing, technical writing, screenwriting, grant writing, academic writing, public relations, or business writing.
Subject Matter Expertise: The writers who build the most durable careers are seldom generalists who write about everything adequately. They are specialists who write about something specific with genuine authority. Ask yourself what topics you naturally gravitate toward: technology, science, business, healthcare, history, politics, education, finance, law, arts and culture. A degree that builds deep subject matter knowledge in your area of genuine interest makes you a stronger writer within that niche than a writing degree alone ever could.
Career Flexibility: Some degrees prepare you specifically and narrowly for one kind of writing. Others open lateral pathways that expand your options as your interests evolve. Creative writing is excellent preparation for an author. Marketing prepares you for copywriting, advertising, brand communications, and digital strategy simultaneously. Consider whether you want a degree that sharpens a single focus or one that keeps multiple doors open as your career develops.
Cost and Return on Investment: This is where clarity becomes critical and where most students make avoidable mistakes. Compare tuition against program length, internship access, curriculum quality, career outcome data, the availability of financial aid, and whether online or campus delivery better fits your life. The best degrees for writers are the ones that generate a return in skills, in networks, and in career outcomes that justify what you paid to earn them.
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10 Best Degrees for Writers
1. Liberal Arts
For students exploring the best degrees for writers, liberal arts is one of the most flexible places to start. Rather than locking you into a single career path, a liberal arts degree lets you explore subjects such as history, economics, psychology, sociology, political science, communications, technology, and the arts while developing the writing and critical thinking skills employers value.
That flexibility can become a major advantage when you know you want to write but have not yet decided where your writing career should take you. A history student, for example, could develop the research skills needed to write for documentaries or historical publications. Someone who studies economics could turn that knowledge into a career covering finance, business, or economic policy.
Liberal arts programs also strengthen valuable skills that are difficult to automate or measure, including creative thinking, communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. You can make the degree even more career-focused by adding courses in areas such as statistics, digital media, marketing, or technical communication.
Who Is This Degree Good For?
A liberal arts degree is a strong choice for aspiring writers who want flexibility rather than a narrowly defined career path. It works particularly well for students who enjoy exploring different subjects, communicating ideas, and using research to understand people and society.
What Kind of Work Can You Get With a Liberal Arts Degree?
A liberal arts education can prepare you for writing and communication roles across numerous industries. Depending on your interests and additional training, potential careers include public relations, marketing, nonprofit administration, human resources, journalism, communications, content creation, and academic research.
The key is to connect your writing ability with a subject area or professional skill that employers need. That combination can make a broad degree much more valuable than simply relying on the degree title.
2. English
An English degree deserves a place among the best degrees for writers because it puts language, literature, and communication at the center of your education. You will spend substantial time reading influential works, analyzing different writing styles, developing arguments, and learning how to communicate ideas clearly and persuasively.
Depending on the institution, you may be able to concentrate on areas such as English literature, composition, rhetoric, or professional writing. Each option can strengthen your ability to understand how language influences readers and how effective writing is constructed.
The extensive reading involved in an English program can also sharpen your editorial judgment. Studying classic and contemporary authors exposes you to different narrative structures, rhetorical techniques, voices, and approaches to communicating complex ideas. While an English degree may not teach you everything about the business side of writing, you can fill that gap with electives or a minor in areas such as digital marketing, blogging, social media, publishing, communications, or business.
Who Is This Degree Good For?
English is particularly well suited to students who genuinely enjoy reading and writing and want to develop sophisticated communication skills. It also provides a versatile academic foundation for students who may eventually pursue graduate study or move into another profession where strong writing is essential.
What Kind of Work Can You Get With an English Degree?
English graduates work in a surprisingly broad range of professions. Common career options include editing, proofreading, copywriting, technical writing, journalism, public relations, grant writing, publishing, education, and communications.
The degree can also provide a foundation for careers in fields such as law and business, where the ability to interpret information, construct persuasive arguments, and communicate clearly can be highly valuable. According to the figures provided for this article, the average salary for someone with an English degree is $75,096.
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3. Creative Writing
For students searching for the best degrees for writers because storytelling is already a major part of their lives, a creative writing degree offers intensive practice with words, ideas, and narrative. You will spend considerable time reading, writing, analyzing, and revising literary work. More importantly, you will learn to approach writing as a craft. Coursework may challenge you to experiment with voice, structure, characterization, imagery, dialogue, and different forms of storytelling.
Regular feedback is another major advantage. Workshops and critiques expose you to different perspectives and teach you how to evaluate your own work objectively. You will also learn to write consistently, respond to deadlines, and revise drafts, all of which are essential skills for professional writers.
Who is This Degree Good For?
Creative writing is best suited to students who already enjoy writing and are willing to make it a regular part of their academic life. If you spend your free time writing stories, poetry, scripts, or other creative work, the constant practice can help you develop your voice and discipline.
However, this degree requires a realistic understanding of the writing profession. A creative writing degree does not guarantee publication or a career as a novelist. Success often depends on persistence, portfolio development, networking, and the ability to apply your writing skills beyond traditional literary careers.
What Kind of Work Can You Get With a Creative Writing Degree?
A creative writing degree can prepare you for much more than writing novels or poetry. The communication, critical analysis, creativity, and self-discipline developed through the program can transfer into careers such as copywriting, marketing, advertising, editing, journalism, ghostwriting, screenwriting, publishing, and content creation.
For many graduates, the degree becomes a foundation rather than a single career destination. You might begin in marketing or communications while continuing to develop a novel, screenplay, or other long-form project on the side.
That flexibility is one reason creative writing remains attractive to aspiring writers. You are not limited to waiting for a book deal to turn your degree into a career. Instead, you can use your writing skills across industries while building the experience and portfolio needed to pursue your long-term creative ambitions.
4. Media and Journalism
If you want to turn strong writing skills into a career that informs, influences, and connects with audiences, media and journalism can be among the best degrees for writers to consider. These programs teach you how to communicate ideas clearly while combining creativity with rigorous research, fact checking, interviewing, and ethical reporting.
Beyond writing, journalism students often explore media law, ethics, politics, public affairs, rhetoric, and current events. You learn how to take complex information, identify what matters, and turn it into a compelling story that readers or viewers can understand.
The media industry is also changing rapidly. Today’s strongest journalism programs increasingly cover digital publishing, social media, video production, data journalism, multimedia storytelling, and other technologies shaping modern newsrooms. Choosing a program that reflects these changes can give you skills that remain relevant well beyond graduation.
Who Is This Degree Good For?
A journalism degree is a strong fit for curious people who enjoy asking questions, investigating issues, organizing information, and communicating ideas with precision. If you want your writing to influence public conversations while working across different media formats, this degree can provide a versatile foundation.
What Kind of Work Can You Get With a Media and Journalism Degree?
Graduates can pursue careers as reporters, editors, news writers, investigative journalists, content producers, communications specialists, and public relations professionals. Some also move into marketing because journalism develops the ability to transform research and data into clear, engaging messages.
The communication, research, and analytical skills developed through journalism can also transfer into fields such as law, public affairs, corporate communications, and digital media. That versatility makes journalism particularly valuable for writers who want options rather than being locked into one career path.
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5. Theater and Film
If your strength lies in storytelling, character development, dialogue, and visual narratives, theater and film can be among the best degrees for writers with a passion for creative storytelling. These programs go beyond acting by teaching students how stories are developed, structured, performed, filmed, and interpreted. Students typically analyze scripts, study dramatic structure, explore different genres, and examine how directors and screenwriters use dialogue, pacing, conflict, characterization, and visual elements to create memorable stories.
Writing courses can strengthen your abilities across dramatic, episodic, expository, and screenplay formats. Just as importantly, theater and film teach you to understand storytelling as a collaborative process. Writers work with directors, actors, producers, editors, designers, and other creative professionals. Learning how to accept feedback and adapt your work is therefore an essential part of the experience.
Who Is This Degree Good For?
This degree suits creative thinkers who are fascinated by movies, theater, performance, and storytelling. It is particularly valuable for students who enjoy developing original ideas but are also comfortable collaborating with others and revising their work based on constructive feedback.
What Kind of Work Can You Get With a Theater and Film Degree?
Graduates can pursue screenwriting, playwriting, script editing, film criticism, arts journalism, content development, and other creative roles. Others apply their storytelling and production knowledge to advertising, digital media, entertainment, and technology companies.
A theater or film degree can also prepare you for behind the scenes positions in production. Understanding how stories move from an initial concept to a finished performance gives writers a broader perspective that can be valuable across the entertainment and media industries.
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6. Professional and Technical Writing
For writers who prefer turning complex information into clear, useful content, professional and technical writing is one of the best degrees for writers seeking a practical career path. Rather than focusing primarily on creative storytelling, these programs teach you how to communicate specialized information to specific audiences.
Depending on the institution, you may study technical communication, medical writing, scientific writing, business communication, documentation, or professional editing. Some universities offer dedicated technical writing degrees, while others include these subjects within communication, English, creative writing, or business programs.
Who Is This Degree Good For?
Professional and technical writing is ideal for people who enjoy research, problem solving, organization, and precise communication. You should be comfortable learning unfamiliar subjects because technical writers frequently work with specialized information and must understand it well enough to explain it accurately.
Strong English skills are important, but curiosity and attention to detail matter just as much. Technology proficiency is also increasingly valuable because modern technical writers often work with digital documentation platforms, content management systems, data visualization tools, and other publishing technologies.
What Kind of Work Can You Get With a Professional and Technical Writing Degree?
Technical writers create instruction manuals, product documentation, training materials, professional reports, research documents, online help content, and other forms of specialized communication. Professional writers may also develop press releases, internal communications, policy documents, proposals, and business materials.
These skills are useful across healthcare, technology, finance, law, manufacturing, government, science, and other industries where organizations need complex information communicated clearly. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, technical writers had a median annual wage of $79,090 in May 2024, although compensation varies by industry, experience, and location.
7. Linguistics
Language itself becomes the subject of study in linguistics, making this field another compelling option among the best degrees for writers. Rather than simply teaching you how to write, linguistics helps you understand why language works the way it does. Coursework may cover grammar, semantics, phonetics, syntax, rhetoric, language history, discourse, and the evolution of languages across cultures.
Studying these areas can sharpen your awareness of word choice, sentence structure, tone, meaning, and communication patterns. You also develop the ability to recognize different writing and communication styles. That flexibility can make you a stronger writer because you learn to adapt your language to different audiences, purposes, and contexts.
Who Is This Degree Good For?
Linguistics is a strong choice for students who are fascinated by language and enjoy analyzing how people communicate. Writers who want to understand the mechanics behind words, meaning, persuasion, and communication can gain valuable insights from this discipline.
Critical thinking is particularly important because linguistics involves analyzing language systematically rather than simply appreciating it creatively. Students may work with linguistic data, compare language structures, and examine how language changes across different communities and periods.
What Kind of Work Can You Get With a Linguistics Degree?
A linguistics degree can lead to careers in education, publishing, communications, technology, public service, translation, and language related fields. Depending on your additional training, you might work as an editor, translator, interpreter, language specialist, content professional, or marketing specialist.
The discipline also connects naturally with anthropology, psychology, sociology, philosophy, and computer science. That interdisciplinary foundation can be especially useful for writers who want to combine their language expertise with another professional specialization.
For students comparing the best degrees for writers, linguistics offers something different from traditional writing programs: instead of focusing only on producing better prose, it gives you a deeper understanding of the language systems that make effective communication possible.
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8. Marketing
Marketing is one of the best degrees for writers who want to turn strong communication skills into a versatile career. A marketing degree teaches you how to research audiences, develop persuasive messages, build promotional strategies, and measure whether your campaigns actually work. Instead of simply writing well, you learn how to use words strategically to influence decisions and achieve measurable business goals.
Because effective marketing depends heavily on understanding people, your coursework may also introduce concepts from psychology, communication, linguistics, and consumer behavior. Many programs now offer specialized coursework in digital marketing, social media, content strategy, search engine optimization, and brand communication, giving aspiring writers several ways to combine creativity with practical business skills.
Who Is This Degree Good For?
A marketing degree is a strong choice if you enjoy communicating ideas in creative, persuasive, and memorable ways. You should also be comfortable researching audiences, adapting your writing for different platforms, collaborating with other people, and responding to changing consumer trends.
Writers who enjoy brainstorming campaigns, developing brand messages, and finding creative ways to connect with an audience may find marketing particularly rewarding. The field also encourages continuous learning, which is important because digital platforms and consumer expectations are constantly changing.
What Kind of Work Can You Get With a Marketing Degree?
A marketing degree gives writers considerable career flexibility because virtually every organization needs effective communication. You could pursue roles such as content writer, copywriter, social media strategist, content marketer, email marketing specialist, brand writer, or marketing communications specialist.
Your writing skills can also transfer across industries, including healthcare, technology, entertainment, education, retail, finance, law, and publishing. For writers who want more than a traditional writing career, marketing provides a practical way to combine storytelling, research, creativity, and business strategy.
9. Publishing
For writers who want to understand what happens beyond the writing process, publishing can be one of the best degrees for writers interested in the business and creative side of the literary industry. A publishing program introduces students to editing, communications, marketing, production, technology, and the evolving ways books and other written content reach audiences.
You will explore both traditional and digital publishing practices while learning how the industry responds to changing technologies, consumer preferences, and distribution models. Coursework may also cover design, typography, layout, production, contracts, sales, and publishing operations, giving you a broader understanding of how written work becomes a finished product.
Business knowledge is particularly valuable in publishing. Professionals need to understand audiences, evaluate market potential, develop sales strategies, manage budgets, and identify opportunities across different publishing channels. Although bachelor’s degrees specifically focused on publishing are less common, students can study a related field at the undergraduate level and specialize in publishing through graduate study or professional training.
Who Is This Degree Good For?
Publishing is a natural fit for people who love books, writing, editing, and the broader literary world but also want to understand how the industry operates. It is especially useful for aspiring writers who are curious about the commercial side of storytelling and want to develop skills beyond producing manuscripts.
If you enjoy identifying strong ideas, refining written work, working with authors, or helping content reach the right audience, publishing can offer a compelling combination of creativity and business.
What Kind of Work Can You Get With a Publishing Degree?
A publishing degree can prepare you for opportunities across editorial, production, marketing, sales, and business operations. Depending on your interests and experience, you could pursue roles such as editor, publicist, literary agent, production manager, publishing coordinator, contract manager, or marketing specialist.
Writers can also use publishing expertise to understand the industry from the inside, build professional relationships, and potentially develop their own books or independent publishing ventures.
10. Business
A writing career involves much more than producing compelling sentences. If you want to turn writing into a sustainable business, you also need to understand markets, customers, finance, management, entrepreneurship, and strategy. That makes business one of the best degrees for writers who want to combine communication skills with commercial expertise.
A business degree gives you a broad foundation in areas such as accounting, economics, marketing, leadership, data analysis, operations, and project management. These skills can be particularly valuable for writers who plan to freelance, launch a content business, self-publish books, build a media company, or eventually manage a creative team.
Who Is This Degree Good For?
A business degree is ideal for writers who are interested in what happens behind the content. You may love writing, but perhaps you are equally interested in building a brand, managing clients, negotiating contracts, developing products, or starting your own company.
The program will not provide as much writing focused coursework as an English or creative writing degree, but you will still complete substantial written assignments that strengthen your ability to communicate ideas clearly and professionally. More importantly, you will develop business knowledge that can help you turn your writing ability into a marketable professional skill.
What Kind of Work Can You Get With a Business Degree?
Combining business knowledge with strong writing ability can make you valuable across virtually any industry. Potential career paths include business writer, content strategist, marketing content creator, communications specialist, curriculum developer, research analyst, and corporate communications professional.
You can also use your education to build your own venture. Writers with entrepreneurial ambitions may establish a publishing company, content agency, literary services business, or other communication focused enterprise. If your goal is to control both the creative work and the business behind it, a business degree can provide the foundation to make that ambition more realistic.
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Skills Every Aspiring Writer Should Develop Regardless of Degree
Choosing the right degree is only one piece of the puzzle. A serious writing career requires continuous development.
Writing Skills
Develop your ability to:
- Write clearly
- Structure arguments
- Create engaging openings
- Use an appropriate voice
- Explain complicated ideas
- Tell compelling stories
- Adapt to different audiences
Research Skills
Learn how to:
- Find credible sources
- Evaluate evidence
- Conduct interviews
- Verify claims
- Distinguish primary from secondary sources
- Avoid plagiarism
Editing Skills
Writing is not finished when you type the last sentence.
Learn to:
- Edit for structure
- Remove unnecessary words
- Improve transitions
- Correct grammar
- Check consistency
- Proofread carefully
Digital Skills
Modern professional writers can benefit from understanding the following:
- Content management systems
- SEO
- Digital publishing
- Analytics
- Basic content strategy
- Online research tools
Professional Skills
You also need to know how to:
- Meet deadlines
- Communicate with clients
- Work with editors
- Accept criticism
- Manage projects
- Build professional relationships
Degree vs. Experience: Which Matters More for Writers?
This is not really an either-or question. A degree and experience solve different problems.
A Degree Can Provide
- Structured education
- Academic feedback
- Research skills
- Exposure to literature
- Professional networking
- Internships
- A recognized credential
Experience Can Provide
- Published work
- Portfolio evidence
- Industry knowledge
- Client relationships
- Professional references
- Understanding of audiences
- Evidence that you can meet real-world deadlines
For many writing careers, the strongest combination is: Degree + portfolio + experience + specialization. A degree without practical experience can leave you academically qualified but professionally untested. Experience without strong foundational knowledge can produce a capable writer who struggles with research, analysis, or specialized subjects. The two can complement each other.
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Conclusion:
The best degrees for writers are not limited to English or Creative Writing. Those programs provide excellent foundations for aspiring authors and literary professionals, but other degrees can be equally valuable depending on your career goals. Journalism is particularly useful for research-driven writers. Communications provides broad preparation for professional and corporate writing.
Marketing can give copywriters and content marketers a commercial advantage. Technical communication prepares writers to explain complex information, while history, philosophy, and political science can provide valuable subject expertise. Perhaps the most important lesson is that you do not have to major in writing to become a good writer.
Your degree can give you knowledge. Your writing practice turns that knowledge into skill. Your portfolio demonstrates that skill. And your professional experience proves that you can apply it in the real world. So, instead of asking only, “Which degree has the most writing courses?” ask a better question: “What do I want to write about, who do I want to write for, and what expertise will make my writing valuable?”
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