Communicator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a communicator. Communicators usually study business, criminal justice, or nursing. 43% of communicators hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,421 real communicator resumes to see exactly what communicator education sections show.

The most common colleges for communicators are the Youngstown State University and the Youngstown State University.

There are also many online communicator courses to help get the education required to be a communicator.

What education do you need to become a communicator?

What degree do you need to be a communicator?

The most common degree for communicators is bachelor's degree, with 43% of communicators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 20%.

Bachelor's, 43%

Associate, 21%

High School Diploma, 20%

Diploma, 8%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a communicator?

You should major in business to become a communicator. 22% of communicators major in business. Other common majors for a communicator include criminal justice and nursing.

Business, 22%

Criminal Justice, 10%

Nursing, 8%

Psychology, 7%

Other Majors, 53%

Most common colleges for communicators

Communicators often get their degrees at Youngstown State University, University of Akron, and Kent State University. Here are the most common colleges for communicators in the US based on their resumes.

Communicator common college	Percentages
Youngstown State University	17.06%
University of Akron	13.53%
Kent State University	12.94%
University of Phoenix	10.00%
Marshall University	8.24%

Show more common communicator colleges

Best majors for communicators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	22.0%
2	Criminal Justice	10.5%
3	Nursing	8.1%
4	Psychology	7.2%
5	Communication	6.8%

Show more common communicator majors

Best colleges for communicators

The best colleges for communicators are Northeastern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.

A communicator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for communicators. 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 communicators.

1. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

2. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

5. Texas State University

San Marcos, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,280

Enrollment

34,187

6. Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$41,870

Enrollment

8,200

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

9. Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$38,178

Enrollment

6,008

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for communicators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for communicators

The most affordable schools for communicators are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for communicators 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 communicators.

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. 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 - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. Texas A&M International University

Laredo, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$7,176

Cost of attendance

13,914

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 communicators

The hardest universities for communicators to get into are Northeastern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for communicators 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 communicators 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for communicators

The easiest schools for communicators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, wayland baptist university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a communicator 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 communicators.

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. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average communicator salary by education level

According to our data, communicators with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $56,562 annually. Communicators with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $51,261.

Communicator education level	Communicator salary
Master's Degree	$56,562
Bachelor's Degree	$51,261

Communicator education FAQs

What is the best college for Communicators?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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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