Campaign manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a campaign manager. Campaign managers usually study political science, business, or communication. 78% of campaign managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 7,989 real campaign manager resumes to see exactly what campaign manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for campaign managers are the University of Washington and the University of Washington.

There are also many online campaign manager courses to help get the education required to be a campaign manager.

There are certain campaign manager certifications that you should consider. These campaign manager certifications include Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate and Certified Manager Certification (CM).

What education do you need to become a campaign manager?

What degree do you need to be a campaign manager?

The most common degree for campaign managers is bachelor's degree, with 78% of campaign managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 78%

Master's, 9%

Associate, 6%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a campaign manager?

You should major in political science to become a campaign manager. 28% of campaign managers major in political science. Other common majors for a campaign manager include business and communication.

Political Science, 28%

Business, 14%

Communication, 10%

Marketing, 8%

Other Majors, 40%

Most common colleges for campaign managers

Campaign managers often get their degrees at University of Washington, University of California, Santa Barbara, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for campaign managers in the US based on their resumes.

Campaign manager common college	Percentages
University of Washington	8.67%
University of California, Santa Barbara	7.55%
University of California - Davis	7.41%
Michigan State University	6.85%
Florida State University	6.29%

Show more common campaign manager colleges

Best majors for campaign managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Political Science	28.0%
2	Business	14.1%
3	Communication	10.0%
4	Marketing	7.7%
5	Psychology	4.5%

Show more common campaign manager majors

Best colleges for campaign managers

The best colleges for campaign managers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A campaign manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for campaign managers. 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 campaign managers.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for campaign managers

Advertising disclosure

1. Choosing an Objective for a Facebook Ad Campaign

By the end of this project, you will be able to choose the right Facebook Ad Campaign Objective for your brand using the Facebook Business Manager’s “Ads Manager”. Throughout this project, you will be able to identify all 11 types of Facebook Ad Campaign objectives and the difference between them. This will help you easily identify the right objective needed for your brand’s Ad Campaign on Facebook. This guided project is for intermediate level learners who know how to use Facebook’s Ads...

2. How to Set Up a Facebook Ads Campaign

By the end of this project, you will be able to set up a Facebook Ads campaign. Throughout the project, you will be able to create a Business Manager account and an Ad account. We will also be able to create a new Facebook Ads campaign and to select the right objective for it. Moreover, you will create the Ad Sets and set its elements: the budget, the duration, the audience, and the placement. Finally , you will be able to select an existing Ad to boost or to create an Ad from scratch which is...

3. Marketing Campaign Strategy from A to Z

4.2

(544)

Learn how to launch a Marketing Campaign from start to finish...

4. Facebook Ads 2023: Launch Your Best Advertising Campaign

4.5

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

5. Use Mailchimp to Build an E-mail Marketing Campaign

By the end of this project, you will create a customized email for a business marketing campaign using a free version of Mailchimp. You will be able to create an interactive email complete with a call to action that is professional and engaging to your audience. You’ll set up an email campaign as one of several powerful digital marketing campaign tools available in Mailchimp...

6. How to setup a followers campaign on Twitter

In this guided tutorial, you will learn how to setup a followers campaign on Twitter. Note: This tutorial works best for learners who are based in the North America region. We're currently working on providing the same experience in other regions...

7. Email Marketing 2021: Build and Launch Effective Campaigns

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Learn How to Create an Effective Email Marketing Campaign That Makes Your Business More Successful...

8. Step by Step CM360 Tutorial (DoubleClick Campaign Manager)

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Learn Programmatic Advertising with complete step by step tutorial for Double Click campaign manager...

9. From Brand to Image: Creating High Impact Campaigns That Tell Brand Stories

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Learn how to write compelling copy by studying print ads written by award-winning copywriters (copywriting pros)...

13. Facebook Ads & Instagram Ads Course 2023: The Art of Selling

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Create a single successful event or event-series with effective event promotion, planning, management, and monetization...

15. The Complete Cold Email Course 2023 - B2B Lead Generation

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Watch step by step and see exactly how I create effective cold emails campaigns for B2B lead generation...

16. Google Ads 2023: How to Drive Sales With PPC!

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Get started with Google Ads and launch effective PPC advertising campaigns to reach new customers and grow your business...

17. Selling Sponsorships for Meetings, Events & Nonprofits

(388)

Learn from a 20-year sponsorship expert how to build & sell a campaign that attracts sponsors & maximizes your revenue!...

18. Facebook Ads & Facebook Marketing For Beginners 2023

4.6

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Learn how to set up profitable Facebook Ads campaigns following a proven step by step process. Go From Zero to Hero!...

19. The Complete Digital Marketing Bootcamp

(777)

Learn how to set up winning campaigns using Facebook, Google, You Tube, SEO, Email, Retargeting, and Google Analytics...

20. Facebook Marketing for Real Estate Agents

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Top 10 most affordable universities for campaign managers

The most affordable schools for campaign managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for campaign managers 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 campaign managers.

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for campaign managers

The hardest universities for campaign managers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for campaign managers 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 campaign managers 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for campaign managers

The easiest schools for campaign managers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, holy names university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a campaign manager 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 campaign managers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average campaign manager salary by education level

According to our data, campaign managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $89,062 annually. Campaign managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $80,785.

Campaign manager education level	Campaign manager salary
Master's Degree	$89,062
Bachelor's Degree	$80,785

Campaign manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Campaign Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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