Marketing Director Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a marketing director. Marketing directors usually study business, marketing, or communication. 76% of marketing directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 57,738 real marketing director resumes to see exactly what marketing director education sections show.

The most common colleges for marketing directors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain marketing director certifications that you should consider. These marketing director certifications include Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).

What education do you need to become a marketing director?

What degree do you need to be a marketing director?

The most common degree for marketing directors is bachelor's degree, with 76% of marketing directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 76%

Master's, 12%

Associate, 8%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a marketing director?

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

Business, 25%

Marketing, 19%

Communication, 11%

Management, 5%

Other Majors, 40%

Most common colleges for marketing directors

Marketing directors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for marketing directors in the US based on their resumes.

Marketing Director Common College	Percentages
University of Phoenix	10.11%
New York University	5.99%
Arizona State University	5.49%
Pennsylvania State University	5.45%
Ohio State University	5.40%

Show more common marketing director colleges

Best majors for marketing directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	25.1%
2	Marketing	19.1%
3	Communication	11.1%
4	Management	4.8%
5	Journalism	4.2%

Show more common marketing director majors

Best colleges for marketing directors

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

A marketing director 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 directors. 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 directors.

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 marketing directors

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20. Product Strategy

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Top 10 most affordable universities for marketing directors

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

If the best universities for marketing directors 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 directors.

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 marketing directors

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

Some great schools for marketing directors 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 directors 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 marketing directors

The easiest schools for marketing directors 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 marketing director 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 directors.

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 marketing director salary by education level

Marketing directors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $151,708 annually. With a Master's degree, marketing directors earn a median annual income of $142,931 compared to $120,735 for marketing directors with an Bachelor's degree.

Marketing Director education level	Marketing Director salary
Master's Degree	$142,931
Bachelor's Degree	$120,735
Doctorate Degree	$151,708

Marketing Director Education FAQs

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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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