Direct marketing manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a direct marketing manager. Direct marketing managers usually study business, marketing, or communication. 80% of direct marketing managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,132 real direct marketing manager resumes to see exactly what direct marketing manager education sections show.

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

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

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

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

The most common degree for direct marketing managers is bachelor's degree, with 80% of direct marketing managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 80%

Master's, 11%

Associate, 6%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 1%

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

You should major in business to become a direct marketing manager. 25% of direct marketing managers major in business. Other common majors for a direct marketing manager include marketing and communication.

Business, 25%

Marketing, 23%

Communication, 9%

English, 5%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for direct marketing managers

Direct marketing managers often get their degrees at New York University, Pennsylvania State University, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for direct marketing managers in the US based on their resumes.

Direct marketing manager common college	Percentages
New York University	9.92%
Pennsylvania State University	8.40%
University of California, Santa Barbara	6.11%
Arizona State University	5.34%
San Jose State University	5.34%

Show more common direct marketing manager colleges

Best majors for direct marketing managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	24.8%
2	Marketing	23.3%
3	Communication	8.8%
4	English	5.0%
5	Political Science	4.5%

Show more common direct marketing manager majors

Best colleges for direct marketing managers

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

A direct 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 direct 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 direct 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. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

20 best online courses for direct marketing managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for direct marketing managers

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

If the best universities for direct 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 direct marketing managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

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. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

9. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for direct marketing managers

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

Some great schools for direct 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 direct 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. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

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 direct marketing managers

The easiest schools for direct marketing managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a direct 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 direct 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. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

9. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average direct marketing manager salary by education level

According to our data, direct marketing managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $109,975 annually. Direct marketing managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $105,531.

Direct marketing manager education level	Direct marketing manager salary
Master's Degree	$105,531
Bachelor's Degree	$93,897
Doctorate Degree	$109,975

Direct marketing manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Direct Marketing Managers?

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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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