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Communications program manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a communications program manager. Communications program managers usually study business, communication, or psychology. 69% of communications program managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,407 real communications program manager resumes to see exactly what communications program manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for communications program managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online communications program manager courses to help get the education required to be a communications program manager.
There are certain communications program manager certifications that you should consider. These communications program manager certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Master Project Manager (MPM).
What education do you need to become a communications program manager?
What degree do you need to be a communications program manager?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 19%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a communications program manager?
- Business, 16%
- Communication, 11%
- Psychology, 11%
- Social Work, 6%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for communications program managers
| Communications program manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.93% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.82% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.82% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 5.68% |
| San Jose State University | 5.68% |
Best majors for communications program managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 16.0% |
| 2 | Communication | 11.3% |
| 3 | Psychology | 10.9% |
| 4 | Social Work | 6.4% |
| 5 | Political Science | 6.1% |
Best colleges for communications program managers
The best colleges for communications program managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.
A communications program 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 program 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 program 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. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. University of North Texas
Denton, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,852
Enrollment
31,375
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for communications program managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for communications program managers
The most affordable schools for communications program managers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for communications program 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 program 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. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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 program managers
The hardest universities for communications program managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.
Some great schools for communications program 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 program 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
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 program managers
The easiest schools for communications program managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a communications program 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 program managers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
Average communications program manager salary by education level
| Communications program manager education level | Communications program manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $99,556 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $86,041 |
| Doctorate Degree | $105,689 |
Communications program manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025