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Communications/outreach manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a communications/outreach manager. Communications/outreach managers usually study business, communication, or psychology. 68% of communications/outreach managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 914 real communications/outreach manager resumes to see exactly what communications/outreach manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for communications/outreach managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

What education do you need to become a communications/outreach manager?

What degree do you need to be a communications/outreach manager?

The most common degree for communications/outreach managers is bachelor's degree, with 68% of communications/outreach managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Master's, 20%
  • Associate, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a communications/outreach manager?

You should major in business to become a communications/outreach manager. 20% of communications/outreach managers major in business. Other common majors for a communications/outreach manager include communication and psychology.

Most common colleges for communications/outreach managers

Communications/outreach managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Massachusetts Boston, and Florida State University. Here are the most common colleges for communications/outreach managers in the US based on their resumes.
Communications/outreach manager common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix17.54%
University of Massachusetts Boston7.02%
Florida State University6.14%
Arizona State University5.26%
Rosemont College4.39%

Best majors for communications/outreach managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business19.7%
2Communication13.6%
3Psychology8.1%
4Political Science7.9%
5Marketing6.4%

Best colleges for communications/outreach managers

The best colleges for communications/outreach managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

A communications/outreach 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/outreach 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/outreach managers.

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/outreach managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for communications/outreach managers

The most affordable schools for communications/outreach managers 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/outreach 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/outreach managers.

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/outreach managers

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

Some great schools for communications/outreach 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/outreach 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. 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/outreach managers

The easiest schools for communications/outreach managers 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/outreach 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/outreach managers.

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/outreach manager salary by education level

According to our data, communications/outreach managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $75,282 annually. Communications/outreach managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $71,380.
Communications/outreach manager education levelCommunications/outreach manager salary
Master's Degree$71,380
Bachelor's Degree$62,685
Doctorate Degree$75,282

Communications/outreach manager 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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