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Communications media professor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a communications media professor. Communications media professors usually study communication, graphic design, or business. 72% of communications media professors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 100 real communications media professor resumes to see exactly what communications media professor education sections show.

The most common colleges for communications media professors are the School of Visual Arts and the School of Visual Arts.

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

What education do you need to become a communications media professor?

What degree do you need to be a communications media professor?

The most common degree for communications media professors is bachelor's degree, with 72% of communications media professors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Master's, 15%
  • Associate, 6%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a communications media professor?

You should major in communication to become a communications media professor. 21% of communications media professors major in communication. Other common majors for a communications media professor include graphic design and business.

Most common colleges for communications media professors

Communications media professors often get their degrees at School of Visual Arts, SUNY Farmingdale, and University of California, Riverside. Here are the most common colleges for communications media professors in the US based on their resumes.
Communications media professor common collegePercentages
School of Visual Arts8.33%
SUNY Farmingdale8.33%
University of California, Riverside8.33%
Rochester Institute of Technology8.33%
North Central College4.17%

Best majors for communications media professors

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication20.7%
2Graphic Design8.6%
3Business6.9%
4Public Relations6.9%
5Photography6.9%

Best colleges for communications media professors

The best colleges for communications media professors are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.

A communications media professor 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 media professors. 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 media professors.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for communications media professors

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6. Photoshop CC for Beginners: Adobe Photoshop Course

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16. Complete Graphics Design and Video Editing Masterclass

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Top 10 most affordable universities for communications media professors

The most affordable schools for communications media professors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for communications media professors 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 media professors.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for communications media professors

The hardest universities for communications media professors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for communications media professors 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 media professors 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

10. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for communications media professors

The easiest schools for communications media professors to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and grand view university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a communications media professor 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 media professors.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

Average communications media professor salary by education level

According to our data, communications media professors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $54,478 annually. Communications media professors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $46,665.
Communications media professor education levelCommunications media professor salary
Master's Degree$46,665
Doctorate Degree$54,478

Communications media professor 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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