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Advertising specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an advertising specialist. Advertising specialists usually study business, communication, or marketing. 72% of advertising specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,122 real advertising specialist resumes to see exactly what advertising specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for advertising specialists are the Michigan State University and the Michigan State University.
There are also many online advertising specialist courses to help get the education required to be an advertising specialist.
What education do you need to become an advertising specialist?
What degree do you need to be an advertising specialist?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an advertising specialist?
- Business, 18%
- Communication, 13%
- Marketing, 13%
- Graphic Design, 6%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for advertising specialists
| Advertising specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Michigan State University | 6.67% |
| The Art Institute of Pittsburgh | 6.67% |
| Florida State University | 6.67% |
| The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | 5.71% |
| University of Nevada - Las Vegas | 5.71% |
Best majors for advertising specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 17.8% |
| 2 | Communication | 13.2% |
| 3 | Marketing | 13.1% |
| 4 | Graphic Design | 6.3% |
| 5 | Journalism | 6.3% |
Best colleges for advertising specialists
The best colleges for advertising specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
An advertising specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.
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 specialists
Advertising disclosure
1. Facebook Ads 2023: Launch Your Best Advertising Campaign
Move from simple to compelling advertising campaigns with Facebook Ads and increase your value in the business...
2. Facebook Ads Copywriting & Facebook Ads for Real Estate 2023
Learn Facebook Ads Copywriting & Facebook Ads for Real Estate Fast & Fun! Enjoy Quizzes, Animations & Screen Recordings!...
3. [2022] Facebook Ads: Facebook / Instagram Advertising Course
This course is used by Tesla, Walmart, and other leading organizations. Be able to get results from your Facebook Ads!...
4. Meta Advertising for Beginners: Facebook Ads & Instagram Ads
Set Up Facebook Business Page & Meta Business Manager. Use Meta Business Suite. Launch Traffic & Lead Generation Ads...
5. Facebook Marketing for Real Estate Agents
A proven STEP-BY-STEP course to utilize Facebook to promote your real estate business...
6. Introduction into Facebook Marketing & Facebook Advertising
Setup Facebook Business Page. Setup Facebook Pixel. Write Ad Copy. Learn Facebook Advertising. Learn Detailed Targeting...
7. 2023 Facebook Ads & Instagram Ads Social marketing
Growth hack Facebook Ads with Digital Marketing, Social Media. FB advertising 101. Create profitable facebook ads...
8. Facebook Marketing 2023. Promote Your Business on Facebook!
Learn how to promote your brand on Facebook, create engaging content, launch ads and increase the number of followers!...
9. Be a Facebook Ads Pro 2023 with Dekker: Facebook Advertising
Groundbreaking Udemy Facebook Ads Unofficial Generatie Leads & Customers Learn from a Fortune 100 Facebook Ads Pro...
10. Facebook Ads & Facebook Marketing Masterclass 2023
Master Facebook Ads & Marketing with Complete Automation, Get Strategies for Advertising, Organic Marketing & e Commerce...
11. Google Ads 2023: How to Drive Sales With PPC!
Get started with Google Ads and launch effective PPC advertising campaigns to reach new customers and grow your business...
12. Facebook Ads Profit Bootcamp: Covert Ads into Sales!
Learn everything you need to know about Facebook Advertising and create high performing Ads that convert to Sales!...
13. The Ultimate Facebook Ads and Facebook Marketing Guide 2021
Learn how to create Facebook Ads from SCRATCH and 3x your business using Facebook Marketing and Facebook Advertising...
14. Facebook Ads for Beginners
Learn to Create Powerful Facebook Ads to Increase Your Sales and Revenue Promoting Your Business All Over the World!...
15. The Complete Facebook Ads Course - Beginner to Advanced
Master Facebook Advertising and Grow Any Business - Facebook Marketing Strategy, Ad Retargeting, Remarketing & More!...
16. Facebook Marketing 2023: 1000% Facebook Engagement & Sales
Go viral, get more FB sharing! Facebook marketing & advertising strategies with business groups, pages, FB Live, Pixel...
17. The Complete Facebook Ads & Marketing Course 2021
The #1 Guide to Facebook Advertising & Marketing - Join 50,000+ students who are selling with Ads right now!...
18. Facebook Ads & Facebook Marketing MASTERY 2023 Coursenvy ®
Facebook Marketing from beginner to advanced! Join 200,000+ students who MASTERED Facebook and are Facebook Ads experts!...
19. Google Analytics, GTM. How to improve your marketing?
Learn how to increase your online marketing performance with analytical tools to effectively promote your business!...
20. Meta Ads for Beginners: Pixel, Catalog Sales & Facebook Shop
Unleash the Power Of Catalog Sales: Learn Meta Ads, Business Manager, Pixel, CAPI, Commerce Manager & Facebook Shopping...
Top 10 most affordable universities for advertising specialists
The most affordable schools for advertising specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for advertising specialists 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 specialists.
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 specialists
The hardest universities for advertising specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for advertising specialists 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 specialists 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 specialists
The easiest schools for advertising specialists 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 specialist 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 specialists.
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 specialist salary by education level
| Advertising specialist education level | Advertising specialist salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $44,994 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,873 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $44,513 |
Advertising specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025