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Communications lead education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a communications lead. Communications leads usually study business, communication, or psychology. 72% of communications leads hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,120 real communications lead resumes to see exactly what communications lead education sections show.

The most common colleges for communications leads are the Georgia Southern University and the Georgia Southern University.

There are also many online communications lead courses to help get the education required to be a communications lead.

There are certain communications lead certifications that you should consider. These communications lead certifications include Change Management Certified Professional and Communication Management Professional (CMP).

What education do you need to become a communications lead?

What degree do you need to be a communications lead?

The most common degree for communications leads is bachelor's degree, with 72% of communications leads earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Master's, 13%
  • Associate, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a communications lead?

You should major in business to become a communications lead. 20% of communications leads major in business. Other common majors for a communications lead include communication and psychology.

Most common colleges for communications leads

Communications leads often get their degrees at Georgia Southern University, Baylor University, and Ohio University. Here are the most common colleges for communications leads in the US based on their resumes.
Communications lead common collegePercentages
Georgia Southern University11.40%
Baylor University11.40%
Ohio University8.55%
University of Phoenix8.08%
University of Washington5.46%

Best majors for communications leads

RankMajorPercentages
1Business20.0%
2Communication14.1%
3Psychology8.1%
4Marketing5.9%
5English5.6%

Best colleges for communications leads

The best colleges for communications leads are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

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

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for communications leads

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Top 10 most affordable universities for communications leads

The most affordable schools for communications leads are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for communications leads 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 communications leads.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for communications leads

The hardest universities for communications leads to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for communications leads 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 communications leads 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for communications leads

The easiest schools for communications leads to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a communications lead 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 communications leads.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average communications lead salary by education level

According to our data, communications leads with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $119,311 annually. Communications leads with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $112,708.
Communications lead education levelCommunications lead salary
Master's Degree$112,708
Bachelor's Degree$98,086
Doctorate Degree$119,311

Communications lead 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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