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Marketing communications associate education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a marketing communications associate. Marketing communications associates usually study communication, marketing, or business. 81% of marketing communications associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 996 real marketing communications associate resumes to see exactly what marketing communications associate education sections show.

The most common colleges for marketing communications associates are the San Francisco State University and the San Francisco State University.

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

There are certain marketing communications associate certifications that you should consider. These marketing communications associate certifications include Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) and Certified Resume Specialist:Public Relations and Marketing Communications (CRS+PR).

What education do you need to become a marketing communications associate?

What degree do you need to be a marketing communications associate?

The most common degree for marketing communications associates is bachelor's degree, with 81% of marketing communications associates earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 81%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Associate, 5%
  • High School Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a marketing communications associate?

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

Most common colleges for marketing communications associates

Marketing communications associates often get their degrees at San Francisco State University, University of California, Santa Barbara, and Temple University. Here are the most common colleges for marketing communications associates in the US based on their resumes.
Marketing communications associate common collegePercentages
San Francisco State University6.98%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.98%
Temple University6.20%
Marquette University6.20%
Syracuse University5.43%

Best majors for marketing communications associates

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication23.0%
2Marketing13.1%
3Business11.3%
4Public Relations9.7%
5English9.3%

Best colleges for marketing communications associates

The best colleges for marketing communications associates are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

A marketing communications 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 communications 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 communications associates.

1. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

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. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

10. Texas State University

San Marcos, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,280

Enrollment

34,187

20 best online courses for marketing communications associates

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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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Promotional tools that can help you attract customers...

7. Public Relations: Media Crisis Communications

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8. Digital Marketing (Part Time)

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20. Facebook Marketing: Reveal The Power of Promoted Posts

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Top 10 most affordable universities for marketing communications associates

The most affordable schools for marketing communications associates are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for marketing communications 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 communications associates.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for marketing communications associates

The hardest universities for marketing communications associates to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for marketing communications 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 communications 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for marketing communications associates

The easiest schools for marketing communications associates to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and notre dame college.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

6. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

10. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

Average marketing communications associate salary by education level

Marketing communications associates with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $61,752 annually. With a Master's degree, marketing communications associates earn a median annual income of $61,196 compared to $53,866 for marketing communications associates with an Bachelor's degree.
Marketing communications associate education levelMarketing communications associate salary
Master's Degree$61,196
Bachelor's Degree$53,866
Doctorate Degree$61,752

Marketing communications 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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