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Brand strategist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a brand strategist. Brand strategists usually study marketing, business, or communication. 79% of brand strategists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 953 real brand strategist resumes to see exactly what brand strategist education sections show.
The most common colleges for brand strategists are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online brand strategist courses to help get the education required to be a brand strategist.
There are certain brand strategist certifications that you should consider. These brand strategist certifications include Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) and Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate.
What education do you need to become a brand strategist?
What degree do you need to be a brand strategist?
- Bachelor's, 79%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 4%
- Diploma, 0%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a brand strategist?
- Marketing, 16%
- Business, 14%
- Communication, 13%
- Graphic Design, 9%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for brand strategists
| Brand strategist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 8.63% |
| Boston University | 7.91% |
| Syracuse University | 6.47% |
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 6.47% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 5.76% |
Best majors for brand strategists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marketing | 16.2% |
| 2 | Business | 13.7% |
| 3 | Communication | 12.5% |
| 4 | Graphic Design | 8.9% |
| 5 | Advertising | 6.0% |
Best colleges for brand strategists
The best colleges for brand strategists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
A brand strategist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for brand strategists. 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 brand strategists.
1. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
3. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
4. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
20 best online courses for brand strategists
Advertising disclosure
1. Product Management (Part Time)
Balance business viability, technical feasibility, and customer desire to lead products and features toward long-term success. Learn from a seasoned expert. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
2. Digital Marketing (Part Time)
Build confidence and capability to apply modern marketing strategies on the job. Drive growth with multichannel campaigns powered by data and customer insight. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
3. Predictive Analytics for Business
Learn to apply predictive analytics and business intelligence to solve real-world business problems...
4. Marketing Analytics
Gain an in-depth understanding of Google Analytics and marketing analytics. Analyze data and build models with Excel, Data Studio, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...
5. Brand and Product Management
The main objective is identify the critical information needed to develop a product and brand strategy that generates both quick wins and long-term value. Along this course, you will learn brand and product strategy key concepts such as product lifecycle, product demand estimation, product and brand development and launching, product pipeline, competitors analysis, brand essence and identity, brand architecture, brand equity, brand portfolio, customer experience journey, purchase funnel, key...
6. Branding & Brand Management with Dekker: Branding Strategy+
Branding Guide MBA Level : Brand Management, Branding Strategy, Brand Building #1 Branding Course from top MBA F100 XP...
7. 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!...
8. Product Manager
Envision and lead the product strategy of industry-defining products, and learn to successfully bring them to market. Influence the execution of product development as a Product Manager, one of the most highly-coveted roles in technology...
9. Data Product Manager
Leverage data to build products that deliver the right experiences, to the right users, at the right time. Lead the development of data-driven products that position businesses to win in their market...
10. Become an Instagram Manager and Work with Paying Clients
Start your freelancing online business as an Instagram Manager and learn how to attract Clients...
11. Fashion Marketing Strategy: How To Promote & Sell Your Brand
Essential Strategies for Brand Management for Success in Fashion Design. Social Commerce is the New Storefront...
12. Digital Marketing
Gain real-world experience running live campaigns as you learn from top experts in the field. Launch your career with a 360-degree understanding of digital marketing...
13. AI for Business Leaders
Master the foundations of artificial intelligence so you can strategically implement AI in your company. Leverage machine learning technologies to power corporate growth, increase efficiency, and enhance customer experiences...
14. Product Marketing Launch Plan: Product GTM with Dekker, MBA
Product Management Marketing Strategy, Marketing Plan, Product Marketing Manager, Product Manager Marketing Plan...
15. Digital Marketing Strategist. Unlock your career growth
Become a digital marketing expert. Learn proven digital marketing strategies with my roadmap and 24/7 expert support...
16. Business Analytics
In this program, you will learn foundational data skills that apply across functions and industries. You will learn to analyze data and build models with Excel, query databases using SQL, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...
17. AI Product Manager
Learn to develop AI products that deliver business value. Build skills that help you compete in the new AI-powered world...
18. Brand Management: Build Successful Long Lasting Brands
A detailed professional guide to plan, create, grow and manage brands that create immense value over time...
19. Business Branding With Personality: Build An Authentic Brand
The Business Branding Strategy That Empowers Your Brand To Connect With Personality On A Human Level...
20. Growth Product Manager
Hone specialized Product Management skills in growth strategy. Lead experimentation and data-driven decision-making in your organization to drive products to reach the next level of scale, impact, and profitability...
Top 10 most affordable universities for brand strategists
The most affordable schools for brand strategists are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and fashion institute of technology.
If the best universities for brand strategists 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 brand strategists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for brand strategists
The hardest universities for brand strategists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for brand strategists 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 brand strategists 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for brand strategists
The easiest schools for brand strategists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a brand strategist 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 brand strategists.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average brand strategist salary by education level
| Brand strategist education level | Brand strategist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $137,485 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $124,514 |
| Doctorate Degree | $142,381 |
Brand strategist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025