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Associate director of communications education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an associate director of communications. Associate directors of communications usually study communication, journalism, or business. 74% of associate directors of communications hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 711 real associate director of communications resumes to see exactly what associate director of communications education sections show.

The most common colleges for associate directors of communications are the Boston University and the Boston University.

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

What education do you need to become an associate director of communications?

What degree do you need to be an associate director of communications?

The most common degree for associate directors of communications is bachelor's degree, with 74% of associate directors of communications earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 74%
  • Master's, 19%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 0%

What should I major in to become an associate director of communications?

You should major in communication to become an associate director of communications. 18% of associate directors of communications major in communication. Other common majors for an associate director of communications include journalism and business.

Most common colleges for associate directors of communications

Associate directors of communications often get their degrees at Boston University, New York University, and Syracuse University. Here are the most common colleges for associate directors of communications in the US based on their resumes.
Associate director of communications common collegePercentages
Boston University10.53%
New York University8.77%
Syracuse University7.89%
Temple University6.14%
Fordham University6.14%

Best majors for associate directors of communications

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication18.0%
2Journalism12.8%
3Business11.3%
4English8.6%
5Marketing6.8%

Best colleges for associate directors of communications

The best colleges for associate directors of communications are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

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

1. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Texas State University

San Marcos, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,280

Enrollment

34,187

6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

9. Emerson College

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$46,852

Enrollment

3,817

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for associate directors of communications

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Top 10 most affordable universities for associate directors of communications

The most affordable schools for associate directors of communications are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for associate directors of communications 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 associate directors of communications.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$7,879

Cost of attendance

21,223

8. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Cost of attendance

24,514

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for associate directors of communications

The hardest universities for associate directors of communications to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for associate directors of communications 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 associate directors of communications 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

6. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

8. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

9. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

10. American University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,320

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for associate directors of communications

The easiest schools for associate directors of communications to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and saint joseph's college of maine.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an associate director of communications 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 associate directors of communications.

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. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

7. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

Average associate director of communications salary by education level

According to our data, associate directors of communications with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $103,086 annually. Associate directors of communications with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $94,859.
Associate director of communications education levelAssociate director of communications salary
Master's Degree$103,086
Bachelor's Degree$94,859

Associate director of communications 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.

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