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Communications specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a communications specialist. Communications specialists usually study communication, business, or journalism. 64% of communications specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 25,907 real communications specialist resumes to see exactly what communications specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for communications specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online communications specialist courses to help get the education required to be a communications specialist.
There are certain communications specialist certifications that you should consider. These communications specialist certifications include Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI) and Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS).
What education do you need to become a communications specialist?
What degree do you need to be a communications specialist?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a communications specialist?
- Communication, 20%
- Business, 15%
- Journalism, 10%
- English, 8%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for communications specialists
| Communications specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.11% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.26% |
| Michigan State University | 6.00% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.34% |
| Florida State University | 5.04% |
Best majors for communications specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 20.1% |
| 2 | Business | 14.5% |
| 3 | Journalism | 9.6% |
| 4 | English | 8.0% |
| 5 | Public Relations | 5.4% |
Best colleges for communications specialists
The best colleges for communications specialists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
A communications specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
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. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
10. Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$41,870
Enrollment
8,200
20 best online courses for communications specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for communications specialists
The most affordable schools for communications specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for communications specialists 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 specialists.
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. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for communications specialists
The hardest universities for communications specialists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for communications specialists 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 specialists 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
6. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
7. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,415
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for communications specialists
The easiest schools for communications specialists to get into are Barry 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 specialist 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 specialists.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
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. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
8. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton
Dunmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,056
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average communications specialist salary by education level
| Communications specialist education level | Communications specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $54,842 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,493 |
Communications specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025