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Chief communications officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chief communications officer. Chief communications officers usually study communication, journalism, or business. 73% of chief communications officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 392 real chief communications officer resumes to see exactly what chief communications officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for chief communications officers are the American University and the American University.
There are also many online chief communications officer courses to help get the education required to be a chief communications officer.
What education do you need to become a chief communications officer?
What degree do you need to be a chief communications officer?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a chief communications officer?
- Communication, 19%
- Journalism, 14%
- Business, 12%
- English, 7%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for chief communications officers
| Chief communications officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| American University | 8.33% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 5.56% |
| San Diego State University | 5.56% |
| New York University | 5.56% |
| Harvard University | 5.56% |
Best majors for chief communications officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 18.6% |
| 2 | Journalism | 14.0% |
| 3 | Business | 11.6% |
| 4 | English | 7.4% |
| 5 | Political Science | 5.1% |
Best colleges for chief communications officers
The best colleges for chief communications officers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A chief communications officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chief communications officers. 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 chief communications officers.
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. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for chief communications officers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for chief communications officers
The most affordable schools for chief communications officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for chief communications officers 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 chief communications officers.
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief communications officers
The hardest universities for chief communications officers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for chief communications officers 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 chief communications officers 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
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. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
10. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,415
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief communications officers
The easiest schools for chief communications officers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief communications officer 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 chief communications officers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
8. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average chief communications officer salary by education level
| Chief communications officer education level | Chief communications officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $142,987 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $120,082 |
Chief communications officer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025