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Director of retail marketing education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of retail marketing. Directors of retail marketing usually study business, marketing, or communication. 73% of directors of retail marketing hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 744 real director of retail marketing resumes to see exactly what director of retail marketing education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of retail marketing are the Michigan State University and the Michigan State University.

There are also many online director of retail marketing courses to help get the education required to be a director of retail marketing.

What education do you need to become a director of retail marketing?

What degree do you need to be a director of retail marketing?

The most common degree for directors of retail marketing is bachelor's degree, with 73% of directors of retail marketing earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a director of retail marketing?

You should major in business to become a director of retail marketing. 26% of directors of retail marketing major in business. Other common majors for a director of retail marketing include marketing and communication.

Most common colleges for directors of retail marketing

Directors of retail marketing often get their degrees at Michigan State University, Boston University, and Ohio University. Here are the most common colleges for directors of retail marketing in the US based on their resumes.
Director of retail marketing common collegePercentages
Michigan State University11.11%
Boston University10.00%
Ohio University6.67%
University of Southern California6.67%
Florida International University5.56%

Best majors for directors of retail marketing

RankMajorPercentages
1Business25.9%
2Marketing17.5%
3Communication7.2%
4Management6.7%
5Psychology4.3%

Best colleges for directors of retail marketing

The best colleges for directors of retail marketing are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

A director of retail marketing with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for directors of retail marketing. 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 directors of retail marketing.

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 directors of retail marketing

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5. Omnichannel Retail Strategy

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Master your product marketing skills through practical examples and exercises...

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14. VPs and Directors of Product Management: Finding Excellence

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Succeeding in an intense, stressful, invigorating job...

15. Product Marketing Fundamentals

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16. Business Analytics

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18. Be A Video Production & Video Marketing Master!

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19. Professional Diploma in Digital Products Management

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20. Growth Product Manager

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of retail marketing

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

If the best universities for directors of retail marketing 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 directors of retail marketing.

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 directors of retail marketing

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

Some great schools for directors of retail marketing 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 directors of retail marketing 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

8%

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

8%

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

4%

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 directors of retail marketing

The easiest schools for directors of retail marketing 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 director of retail marketing 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 directors of retail marketing.

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 director of retail marketing salary by education level

Directors of retail marketing with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $154,712 annually. With a Master's degree, directors of retail marketing earn a median annual income of $148,435 compared to $132,008 for directors of retail marketing with an Bachelor's degree.
Director of retail marketing education levelDirector of retail marketing salary
Master's Degree$148,435
Bachelor's Degree$132,008
Doctorate Degree$154,712

Director of retail marketing 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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