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Advertising associate education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an advertising associate. Advertising associates usually study business, communication, or marketing. 71% of advertising associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 612 real advertising associate resumes to see exactly what advertising associate education sections show.

The most common colleges for advertising associates are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online advertising associate courses to help get the education required to be an advertising associate.

What education do you need to become an advertising associate?

What degree do you need to be an advertising associate?

The most common degree for advertising associates is bachelor's degree, with 71% of advertising associates earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 71%
  • Associate, 13%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an advertising associate?

You should major in business to become an advertising associate. 22% of advertising associates major in business. Other common majors for an advertising associate include communication and marketing.

Most common colleges for advertising associates

Advertising associates often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Harvard University, and Florida State University. Here are the most common colleges for advertising associates in the US based on their resumes.
Advertising associate common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix9.52%
Harvard University7.94%
Florida State University7.94%
Indiana University Bloomington6.35%
Michigan State University6.35%

Best majors for advertising associates

RankMajorPercentages
1Business21.7%
2Communication11.9%
3Marketing11.2%
4English6.8%
5Advertising5.8%

Best colleges for advertising associates

The best colleges for advertising associates are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

An advertising associate with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for advertising associates. 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 advertising associates.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

9. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

10. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

20 best online courses for advertising associates

Advertising disclosure

1. Facebook Ads 2023: Launch Your Best Advertising Campaign

udemy
4.5
(283)

Move from simple to compelling advertising campaigns with Facebook Ads and increase your value in the business...

2. Meta Advertising for Beginners: Facebook Ads & Instagram Ads

udemy
4.6
(458)

Set Up Facebook Business Page & Meta Business Manager. Use Meta Business Suite. Launch Traffic & Lead Generation Ads...

3. [2022] Facebook Ads: Facebook / Instagram Advertising Course

udemy
4.1
(950)

This course is used by Tesla, Walmart, and other leading organizations. Be able to get results from your Facebook Ads!...

4. Customer Service: How to sell more without advertising

udemy
4.5
(1,122)

Learn how to create a customer experience that earns you customer loyalty and creates word of mouth advertising...

5. Introduction into Facebook Marketing & Facebook Advertising

udemy
4.2
(704)

Setup Facebook Business Page. Setup Facebook Pixel. Write Ad Copy. Learn Facebook Advertising. Learn Detailed Targeting...

6. Generate Leads With Facebook Ads For Local Business [2017]

udemy
4.3
(443)

Learn How To Generate 92 Leads in 7 days! The Step-By-Step Facebook Advertising System For Local Businesses 2017...

7. Be a Facebook Ads Pro 2023 with Dekker: Facebook Advertising

udemy
4.6
(606)

Groundbreaking Udemy Facebook Ads Unofficial Generatie Leads & Customers Learn from a Fortune 100 Facebook Ads Pro...

8. Introduction to Programmatic Advertising - Digital Marketing

udemy
4.6
(1,595)

Learn the inner workings of a massive digital industry - How advertisers use programmatic to execute their digital buys...

9. Digital Advertising and Marketing 201: Top Topics & Trends

udemy
4.4
(1,362)

Advanced Digital Marketing Course Header Bidding, Fraud/Viewability, Big Data, Programmatic, Mobile Advertising & more...

10. The Complete Facebook Ads Course - Beginner to Advanced

udemy
4.2
(3,514)

Master Facebook Advertising and Grow Any Business - Facebook Marketing Strategy, Ad Retargeting, Remarketing & More!...

11. 2023 Facebook Ads & Instagram Ads Social marketing

udemy
4.7
(393)

Growth hack Facebook Ads with Digital Marketing, Social Media. FB advertising 101. Create profitable facebook ads...

12. Facebook Marketing 2023. Promote Your Business on Facebook!

udemy
4.3
(592)

Learn how to promote your brand on Facebook, create engaging content, launch ads and increase the number of followers!...

13. The Ultimate Facebook Ads and Facebook Marketing Guide 2021

udemy
4.6
(1,494)

Learn how to create Facebook Ads from SCRATCH and 3x your business using Facebook Marketing and Facebook Advertising...

14. The Digital Advertising Masterclass 2023

udemy
4.7
(371)

Learn Facebook Ads, Google Ads (Ad Words), You Tube Ads, Instagram Ads & More Effective Marketing Techniques with Ads...

15. Facebook Advertising Playbook - Build Great Ads & Audiences!

udemy
4.3
(311)

Learn everything you need to get started with making powerful Facebook Ads and building Super Audiences in 90 mins...

16. Introduction to Programmatic Advertising

udemy
4.2
(432)

The most comprehensive introductory course on programmatic advertising that you will find on the internet...

17. ClickBank Success: Zero Cost Advertising Affiliate Marketing

udemy
4.2
(479)

Learn the steps to succeed as a Click Bank affiliate without having to spend a single cent on advertising!...

18. The Complete Programmatic Advertising Course - 2023

udemy
4.5
(1,840)

The Longest & Most Complete Programmatic Advertising Course on The Entire Web. Learn Programmatic Media Buying & Selling...

19. Facebook Ads & Facebook Marketing Masterclass 2023

udemy
4.6
(1,488)

Master Facebook Ads & Marketing with Complete Automation, Get Strategies for Advertising, Organic Marketing & e Commerce...

20. Facebook Marketing 2023: 1000% Facebook Engagement & Sales

udemy
4.6
(841)

Go viral, get more FB sharing! Facebook marketing & advertising strategies with business groups, pages, FB Live, Pixel...

Top 10 most affordable universities for advertising associates

The most affordable schools for advertising associates are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for advertising associates 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 advertising associates.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for advertising associates

The hardest universities for advertising associates to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for advertising associates 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 advertising associates 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for advertising associates

The easiest schools for advertising associates to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an advertising associate 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 advertising associates.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average advertising associate salary by education level

According to our data, advertising associates with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $58,493 annually. Advertising associates with a High School Diploma degree earn an average annual salary of $48,565.
Advertising associate education levelAdvertising associate salary
High School Diploma or Less$48,565
Bachelor's Degree$58,493
Some College/ Associate Degree$48,028

Advertising associate 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.