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Marketing and research associate education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a marketing and research associate. Marketing and research associates usually study business, marketing, or political science. 77% of marketing and research associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 451 real marketing and research associate resumes to see exactly what marketing and research associate education sections show.

The most common colleges for marketing and research associates are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online marketing and research associate courses to help get the education required to be a marketing and research associate.

What education do you need to become a marketing and research associate?

What degree do you need to be a marketing and research associate?

The most common degree for marketing and research associates is bachelor's degree, with 77% of marketing and research associates earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 77%
  • Master's, 15%
  • Associate, 4%
  • High School Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a marketing and research associate?

You should major in business to become a marketing and research associate. 23% of marketing and research associates major in business. Other common majors for a marketing and research associate include marketing and political science.

Most common colleges for marketing and research associates

Marketing and research associates often get their degrees at New York University, Pennsylvania State University, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Here are the most common colleges for marketing and research associates in the US based on their resumes.
Marketing and research associate common collegePercentages
New York University7.25%
Pennsylvania State University7.25%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey7.25%
Boston University5.80%
Villanova University5.80%

Best majors for marketing and research associates

RankMajorPercentages
1Business23.2%
2Marketing22.0%
3Political Science6.1%
4Communication6.1%
5Finance4.9%

Best colleges for marketing and research associates

The best colleges for marketing and research associates are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

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

1. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

4. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

5. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

20 best online courses for marketing and research associates

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1. Data Analysis Immersive (Full-time)

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Learn to problem solve, and effectively communicate, like an analyst. This course teaches you to use industry-standard tools to make ethical, data-driven decisions. Experience hands-on training to master SQL, Excel, Tableau, PowerBI, and Python – tools listed in virtually every data analytics job posting across industries...

2. Data Analytics (Part Time)

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3. Data Analyst

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Use Python, SQL and Statistics to advance your programming skills and refine your ability to work with messy, complex datasets...

4. Marketing Analytics

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Gain an in-depth understanding of Google Analytics and marketing analytics. Analyze data and build models with Excel, Data Studio, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...

5. Market Research and Consumer Behavior

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Your marketing quest begins here! The first course in this specialization lays the neccessary groundwork for an overall successful marketing strategy. It is separated into two sections: Market Research and Consumer Behavior. Gain the tools and techniques to translate a decision problem into a research question in the Market Research module. Learn how to design a research plan, analyze the data gathered and accurately interpret and communicate survey reports, translating the results into...

6. Market Research

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"Finding the Story in the Data” is the most important emerging capability for market researchers according to GRIT (Greenbook Research Industry Trends) Report 2016. This specialization, designed for learners with no previous Marketing Research experience teaches a comprehensive marketing research approach that will help learners find and communicate the story in the data.\n\nStudents will learn how to initiate a research project for targeted business needs, conduct research through multiple...

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9. Digital Marketing (Part Time)

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Build confidence and capability to apply modern marketing strategies on the job. Drive growth with multichannel campaigns powered by data and customer insight. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

10. Intro to Data Analytics

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Discover if data is a career fit for you Regardless of your industry or role, fluency in the language of data analytics will allow you to contribute to data driven decision making. In this free, two-hour livestream, you’ll learn to understand, analyze, and interpret data so you too can join the data conversation. We’ll cover how to ask the right questions of your data and basic analytic functionality. Then you’ll apply your new found data analytic skills to a real-world dataset, allowing you...

11. Data Structures and Algorithms

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Get hands-on practice with over 80 data structures and algorithm exercises and guidance from a dedicated mentor to help prepare you for interviews and on-the-job scenarios...

12. Data Visualization

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You will start by building data visualizations and dashboards, considering your audiences to be as effective as possible. Then, you’ll move into drafting presentations using storytelling techniques, visualizations, and animations to provide data-driven recommendations...

13. Market Research

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The Market Research Specialisation focuses on the essentials of research and the research process. This Specialisation will teach you how to use qualitative and quantitative research methods, how to develop and manage a questionnaire development strategy, how to develop measurements, how to collect data and how to analyze and present them.\n\nOnce you have completed this Specialisation, you will have a good understanding of market research including:\n\nEssentials of market research Components...

14. Qualitative Research

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In this course, the second in the Market Research Specialization, you will go in-depth with qualitative market research methods, from design to implementation to analysis. Week 1: Define qualitative research and how it differs from quantitative research. Explore the various qualitative research methods and evaluate when and how to use them for your research project. Week 2: Design the qualitative instruments necessary for your interviews or focus groups, and plan your recruitment efforts. Write...

15. Marketing Research: support your marketing decisions

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16. How to conduct market research in startups and small firms?

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A-Z guide how to conduct market research, analyze your competitors as well as customers...

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18. Intro to Data Analysis

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Start your data science journey right with this hands-on introduction to the discipline of data analysis. In this course you'll learn the 5 key stages of the data analysis process and apply them to real data sets using Python libraries NumPy, pandas, and Matplotlib...

19. Psychological Research

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This specialization is primarily aimed at first- and second-year undergraduates interested in psychology, data analysis, ethics in research, and quantitative research methods along with high school students and professionals with similar interests.\n\nLearners will develop knowledge about the fundamentals of research design for quantitative studies in psychology, analysis of data from quantitative studies in psychology, and ethical standards for conducting psychological research. Learning...

20. Market Research: A-Z Fundamentals with Case Studies

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Learn Market Sizing & Forecasting, Survey Design, Customer & Competitor Analysis to become a PRO Market Research Analyst...

Top 10 most affordable universities for marketing and research associates

The most affordable schools for marketing and research associates are SUNY Farmingdale, fashion institute of technology, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for marketing and research associates 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 marketing and research associates.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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 marketing and research associates

The hardest universities for marketing and research associates to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for marketing and research associates 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 marketing and research associates 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for marketing and research associates

The easiest schools for marketing and research associates to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, lim college, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a marketing and research associate 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 marketing and research associates.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Ursuline College

Pepper Pike, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,102

8. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average marketing and research associate salary by education level

According to our data, marketing and research associates with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $69,208 annually. Marketing and research associates with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $68,394.
Marketing and research associate education levelMarketing and research associate salary
Master's Degree$68,394
Bachelor's Degree$57,888
Doctorate Degree$69,208

Marketing and research associate 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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