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Marketing manager/graphic designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a marketing manager/graphic designer. Marketing managers/graphic designer usually study graphic design, business, or fine arts. 74% of marketing managers/graphic designer hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 753 real marketing manager/graphic designer resumes to see exactly what marketing manager/graphic designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for marketing managers/graphic designer are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.

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

What education do you need to become a marketing manager/graphic designer?

What degree do you need to be a marketing manager/graphic designer?

The most common degree for marketing managers/graphic designer is bachelor's degree, with 74% of marketing managers/graphic designer earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 74%
  • Associate, 15%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a marketing manager/graphic designer?

You should major in graphic design to become a marketing manager/graphic designer. 40% of marketing managers/graphic designer major in graphic design. Other common majors for a marketing manager/graphic designer include business and fine arts.

Most common colleges for marketing managers/graphic designer

Marketing managers/graphic designer often get their degrees at University of Florida, University of Iowa, and San Diego State University. Here are the most common colleges for marketing managers/graphic designer in the US based on their resumes.
Marketing manager/graphic designer common collegePercentages
University of Florida7.06%
University of Iowa7.06%
San Diego State University7.06%
Full Sail University7.06%
University of Southern California5.88%

Best majors for marketing managers/graphic designer

RankMajorPercentages
1Graphic Design39.7%
2Business11.0%
3Fine Arts7.6%
4Marketing7.6%
5Communication6.8%

Best colleges for marketing managers/graphic designer

The best colleges for marketing managers/graphic designer are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A marketing manager/graphic designer 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 managers/graphic designer. 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 managers/graphic designer.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for marketing managers/graphic designer

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Translate user wants and needs into intuitive digital experiences that power revenue, loyalty, and product success. Build confidence and credibility to tackle complex design problems on the job. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

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Design impactful user experiences for products in today’s digital world. Build a portfolio that showcases your ability to transform user research to high-fidelity interactive designs...

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Learn the steps you need to turn an idea into reality. By the end of this course you’ll learn how to bring an idea from concept to hand off for development and onto creation of a prototype...

5. Graphic Design Mastery: The FULL Branding & Design Process

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Follows the FULL Graphic Design Process for A Company: Logo, Ad, Social Media, T-Shirt, Package, Website Design & More!...

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The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...

7. Visual Design (Part Time)

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Gain the vocabulary and tools to tackle diverse design challenges on the job. Kickstart your portfolio and create beautiful, responsive designs for the web. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

8. Intro to UX Design

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Are you interested in UX Design, but have no prior experience or an idea of where to start? You’ve come to the right place! In this two-hour livestream, we’ll explore the decision-making process that separates a good user experience from a great one, and learn some tools that you can implement in your own UX process today. All in real time, taught by an industry professional. Come learn the basics and gain the skills you need to begin your UX Design journey!...

9. 47 Graphic Design Projects for Photoshop Beginners

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Photoshop graphic design for beginners!  Includes 47 Photoshop projects for your graphic design portfolio...

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Graphic Design for beginners including Graphic Design Theories, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, AI & Creative Thinking...

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Design 4 Beautiful eye catching Graphic Design Projects from Scratch with Adobe Photoshop Graphic Design Basics...

12. Master Graphic Design & Software with Practical Projects

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Conquer Popular Graphic Design Projects: Logo, Package, Magazine, Book Cover Design, Branding, Digital Graphics & More!...

13. Graphic Design Masterclass Intermediate: The NEXT Level

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Up Your Graphic Design Skills: Logo Design, Photo Manipulation, Package Design, Infographics, Portfolio Building, Grids!...

14. Graphic Design Bootcamp: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

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Bestselling Beginner Course! Use Photoshop, Illustrator, & In Design for logo design, web design, poster design, and more...

15. Digital Design Masterclass For Graphic Designers

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4.7
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Icon Set Design, E-book cover, Digitizing Sketches, Social Media Design, Wordpress Web Design, Adobe Xd, GIFS and more!...

16. Become a Professional Graphic Designer

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Learn what you need to know to break into the world of graphic design...

17. Graphic Design Masterclass: Design 40+ Projects in Photoshop

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Use Photoshop to create YT thumbnails, banners, catalogues, Instagram & Facebook Graphics, Cards, CV, Newsletters & more...

18. Graphic Design Masterclass: Learn Graphic Design in Projects

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Graphic design principles, typography, & color mastery using Illustrator, In Design, and Photoshop. For beginners & more!...

19. Graphic Design Bootcamp: Advanced Training Using Adobe CC

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Project-Based Learning For Intermediate Designers: Use Photoshop, Lightroom, and Other Adobe Creative Cloud Programs...

20. Graphic Design Foundations in Canva: Theory and Projects

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Learn design theory and practice GREAT graphic design through practical real world projects in Canva...

Top 10 most affordable universities for marketing managers/graphic designer

The most affordable schools for marketing managers/graphic designer are University of Florida, fashion institute of technology, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for marketing managers/graphic designer 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 managers/graphic designer.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for marketing managers/graphic designer

The hardest universities for marketing managers/graphic designer to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for marketing managers/graphic designer 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 managers/graphic designer 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for marketing managers/graphic designer

The easiest schools for marketing managers/graphic designer to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame college, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a marketing manager/graphic designer 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 managers/graphic designer.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

5. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average marketing manager/graphic designer salary by education level

According to our data, marketing managers/graphic designer with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $105,220 annually. Marketing managers/graphic designer with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $98,400.
Marketing manager/graphic designer education levelMarketing manager/graphic designer salary
Master's Degree$105,220
Bachelor's Degree$98,400
Some College/ Associate Degree$90,572

Marketing manager/graphic designer 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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