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Marketing & public relations associate education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a marketing & public relations associate. Marketing & public relations associates usually study communication, business, or public relations. 83% of marketing & public relations associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 355 real marketing & public relations associate resumes to see exactly what marketing & public relations associate education sections show.

The most common colleges for marketing & public relations associates are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

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

What education do you need to become a marketing & public relations associate?

What degree do you need to be a marketing & public relations associate?

The most common degree for marketing & public relations associates is bachelor's degree, with 83% of marketing & public relations associates earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 83%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 6%
  • High School Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a marketing & public relations associate?

You should major in communication to become a marketing & public relations associate. 16% of marketing & public relations associates major in communication. Other common majors for a marketing & public relations associate include business and public relations.

Most common colleges for marketing & public relations associates

Marketing & public relations associates often get their degrees at University of California, Santa Barbara, University of Miami, and University of Texas at Austin. Here are the most common colleges for marketing & public relations associates in the US based on their resumes.
Marketing & public relations associate common collegePercentages
University of California, Santa Barbara11.29%
University of Miami8.06%
University of Texas at Austin8.06%
Towson University6.45%
Miami University4.84%

Best majors for marketing & public relations associates

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication16.4%
2Business14.2%
3Public Relations11.6%
4Marketing9.5%
5Journalism7.3%

Best colleges for marketing & public relations associates

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

A marketing & public relations 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 & public relations 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 & public relations associates.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

7. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

20 best online courses for marketing & public relations associates

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Top 10 most affordable universities for marketing & public relations associates

The most affordable schools for marketing & public relations associates are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for marketing & public relations 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 & public relations associates.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for marketing & public relations associates

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

Some great schools for marketing & public relations 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 & public relations 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. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for marketing & public relations associates

The easiest schools for marketing & public relations associates to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average marketing & public relations associate salary by education level

According to our data, marketing & public relations associates with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $49,204 annually. Marketing & public relations associates with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $47,593.
Marketing & public relations associate education levelMarketing & public relations associate salary
Master's Degree$49,204
Bachelor's Degree$47,593

Marketing & public relations 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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