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Communications/senior communications manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a communications/senior communications manager. Communications/senior communications managers usually study business, communication, or journalism. 70% of communications/senior communications managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,022 real communications/senior communications manager resumes to see exactly what communications/senior communications manager education sections show.

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

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

There are certain communications/senior communications manager certifications that you should consider. These communications/senior communications manager certifications include Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) and Certified Aviation Manager (CAM).

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

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

The most common degree for communications/senior communications managers is bachelor's degree, with 70% of communications/senior communications managers 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, 70%
  • Master's, 13%
  • Associate, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

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

You should major in business to become a communications/senior communications manager. 18% of communications/senior communications managers major in business. Other common majors for a communications/senior communications manager include communication and journalism.

Most common colleges for communications/senior communications managers

Communications/senior communications managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and George Mason University. Here are the most common colleges for communications/senior communications managers in the US based on their resumes.
Communications/senior communications manager common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix11.62%
New York University7.07%
George Mason University6.06%
University of Florida6.06%
Boston University6.06%

Best majors for communications/senior communications managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business18.0%
2Communication15.8%
3Journalism11.2%
4English9.1%
5Marketing5.4%

Best colleges for communications/senior communications managers

The best colleges for communications/senior communications managers are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A communications/senior 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/senior 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/senior communications managers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

4. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for communications/senior communications managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for communications/senior communications managers

The most affordable schools for communications/senior communications managers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for communications/senior 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/senior communications managers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

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/senior communications managers

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

Some great schools for communications/senior 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/senior 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for communications/senior communications managers

The easiest schools for communications/senior communications managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, wayland baptist university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a communications/senior 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/senior communications managers.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average communications/senior communications manager salary by education level

According to our data, communications/senior communications managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $123,480 annually. Communications/senior communications managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $110,304.
Communications/senior communications manager education levelCommunications/senior communications manager salary
Master's Degree$123,480
Bachelor's Degree$110,304

Communications/senior communications 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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