Digital marketing manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a digital marketing manager. Digital marketing managers usually study marketing, business, or communication. 77% of digital marketing managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 5,013 real digital marketing manager resumes to see exactly what digital marketing manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for digital marketing managers are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online digital marketing manager courses to help get the education required to be a digital marketing manager.

There are certain digital marketing manager certifications that you should consider. These digital marketing manager certifications include Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate and Certified Blockchain & Digital Marketing Professional.

What education do you need to become a digital marketing manager?

What degree do you need to be a digital marketing manager?

The most common degree for digital marketing managers is bachelor's degree, with 77% of digital marketing managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 77%

Master's, 15%

Associate, 6%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a digital marketing manager?

You should major in marketing to become a digital marketing manager. 21% of digital marketing managers major in marketing. Other common majors for a digital marketing manager include business and communication.

Marketing, 21%

Business, 19%

Communication, 13%

Public Relations, 5%

Other Majors, 42%

Most common colleges for digital marketing managers

Digital marketing managers often get their degrees at New York University, University of Phoenix, and Full Sail University. Here are the most common colleges for digital marketing managers in the US based on their resumes.

Digital marketing manager common college	Percentages
New York University	8.29%
University of Phoenix	7.91%
Full Sail University	6.78%
Arizona State University	5.65%
University of Texas at Austin	5.65%

Show more common digital marketing manager colleges

Best majors for digital marketing managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Marketing	20.8%
2	Business	19.0%
3	Communication	12.7%
4	Public Relations	4.7%
5	Graphic Design	4.7%

Show more common digital marketing manager majors

Best colleges for digital marketing managers

The best colleges for digital marketing managers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

A digital marketing 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 digital marketing 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 digital marketing managers.

1. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

2. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

5. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for digital marketing managers

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6. Learn Digital Marketing (12 Courses in 1)

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Master Digital Marketing Strategy, SEO, Advertising, Social Media Marketing, Email, Analytics, Content Marketing & More...

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Become a digital marketing expert. Learn proven digital marketing strategies with my roadmap and 24/7 expert support...

8. Product Manager

Envision and lead the product strategy of industry-defining products, and learn to successfully bring them to market. Influence the execution of product development as a Product Manager, one of the most highly-coveted roles in technology...

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Online marketing is the future. Learn digital marketing basics like SEO & social media for 2023...

16. Business Analytics

In this program, you will learn foundational data skills that apply across functions and industries. You will learn to analyze data and build models with Excel, query databases using SQL, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...

17. AI Product Manager

Learn to develop AI products that deliver business value. Build skills that help you compete in the new AI-powered world...

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20. Growth Product Manager

Hone specialized Product Management skills in growth strategy. Lead experimentation and data-driven decision-making in your organization to drive products to reach the next level of scale, impact, and profitability...

Top 10 most affordable universities for digital marketing managers

The most affordable schools for digital marketing managers are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and fashion institute of technology.

If the best universities for digital marketing 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 digital marketing managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for digital marketing managers

The hardest universities for digital marketing managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for digital marketing 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 digital marketing 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for digital marketing managers

The easiest schools for digital marketing managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a digital marketing 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 digital marketing managers.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

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. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average digital marketing manager salary by education level

Digital marketing managers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $118,789 annually. With a Master's degree, digital marketing managers earn a median annual income of $114,374 compared to $102,743 for digital marketing managers with an Bachelor's degree.

Digital marketing manager education level	Digital marketing manager salary
Master's Degree	$114,374
Bachelor's Degree	$102,743
Doctorate Degree	$118,789

Digital marketing manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Digital Marketing Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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