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Communications manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a communications manager. Communications managers usually study business, communication, or journalism. 70% of communications managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 24,682 real communications manager resumes to see exactly what communications manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for communications managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online communications manager courses to help get the education required to be a communications manager.
There are certain communications manager certifications that you should consider. These communications manager certifications include Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) and Certified Property Manager (CPM).
What education do you need to become a communications manager?
What degree do you need to be a communications manager?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a communications manager?
- Business, 20%
- Communication, 16%
- Journalism, 9%
- English, 7%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for communications managers
| Communications manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 13.68% |
| New York University | 6.59% |
| Michigan State University | 5.64% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.25% |
| Boston University | 5.03% |
Best majors for communications managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 20.1% |
| 2 | Communication | 16.3% |
| 3 | Journalism | 8.8% |
| 4 | English | 7.5% |
| 5 | Marketing | 7.2% |
Best colleges for communications managers
The best colleges for communications managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A communications 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 communications 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 communications managers.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for communications managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for communications managers
The most affordable schools for communications managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for communications 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 communications 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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for communications managers
The hardest universities for communications managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for communications 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 communications 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. 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for communications managers
The easiest schools for communications managers 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 communications 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 communications managers.
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. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
Average communications manager salary by education level
| Communications manager education level | Communications manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $94,478 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $83,729 |
Communications manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025