Marketing research internship education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a marketing research internship. Marketing research interns usually study business, marketing, or economics. 82% of marketing research interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,278 real marketing research internship resumes to see exactly what marketing research internship education sections show.

The most common colleges for marketing research interns are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

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

There are certain marketing research internship certifications that you should consider. These marketing research internship certifications include Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) and Certification in Business Data Analytics (CBDA).

What education do you need to become a marketing research internship?

What degree do you need to be a marketing research internship?

The most common degree for marketing research interns is bachelor's degree, with 82% of marketing research interns earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 3%.

Bachelor's, 82%

Master's, 12%

Associate, 3%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a marketing research internship?

You should major in business to become a marketing research internship. 26% of marketing research interns major in business. Other common majors for a marketing research internship include marketing and economics.

Business, 26%

Marketing, 26%

Economics, 7%

Communication, 6%

Other Majors, 35%

Most common colleges for marketing research interns

Marketing research interns often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, New York University, and Boston University. Here are the most common colleges for marketing research interns in the US based on their resumes.

Marketing research internship common college	Percentages
University of California - Davis	8.59%
New York University	7.07%
Boston University	6.57%
Pennsylvania State University	5.56%
University of Southern California	5.56%

Show more common marketing research internship colleges

Best majors for marketing research interns

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	25.8%
2	Marketing	25.6%
3	Economics	6.7%
4	Communication	5.5%
5	Finance	4.9%

Show more common marketing research internship majors

Best colleges for marketing research interns

The best colleges for marketing research interns are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

A marketing research internship 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 research interns. 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 research interns.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

5. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

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. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for marketing research interns

Advertising disclosure

1. Data Analysis Immersive (Full-time)

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)

Harness Excel, SQL, and Tableau to drive powerful analysis and insights. Build confidence and credibility to apply this versatile skill set to countless jobs. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

3. Data Analyst

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

4. Marketing Analytics

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

"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...

6. Market Research

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...

7. Market Research: Dekker's Complete Marketing Research Course

4.4

(452)

Competitor Analysis, Market Research Analysis, Marketing Analytics, Consumer Analytics, Conversion Rate Optimization...

8. Global Marketing Research and Analytics

4.3

(375)

Understand and conduct market research on a global scale...

9. Digital Marketing (Part Time)

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

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

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

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 and Consumer Behavior

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...

14. Qualitative Research

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

4.5

(1,910)

Discover the extra advantage of any Business. A practical step by step guide to Marketing Information and Research...

16. Marketing Analytics: The Full Marketing Research Masterclass

4.5

(440)

#1 Course on Marketing Analytics: Become a marketing analytics & strategy expert...

17. Digital Marketing

Gain real-world experience running live campaigns as you learn from top experts in the field. Launch your career with a 360-degree understanding of digital marketing...

18. Intro to Data Analysis

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. Research Proposal: Initiating Research

Market Research is a growing and important field that is used in many industries around the world. Given all the data that is collected whether by organizations, industries, social media, governments, etc., it’s important that someone can review and sift through all the noise to provide valuable insights. And that’s where you come in as a market researcher. This course will only scratch the surface and provide you a foundational understanding of this field. In this course, you will be able to...

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

4.5

(379)

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

Top 10 most affordable universities for marketing research interns

The most affordable schools for marketing research interns are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for marketing research interns 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 research interns.

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

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 research interns

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

Some great schools for marketing research interns 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 research interns 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for marketing research interns

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

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a marketing research internship 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 research interns.

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. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

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. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

Average marketing research internship salary by education level

Marketing research interns with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $37,973 annually. With a Master's degree, marketing research interns earn a median annual income of $37,744 compared to $34,667 for marketing research interns with an Bachelor's degree.

Marketing research internship education level	Marketing research internship salary
Master's Degree	$37,744
Bachelor's Degree	$34,667
Doctorate Degree	$37,973

Marketing research internship education FAQs

What is the best college for Marketing Research Interns?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

Search for marketing research internship jobs

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

Browse business and financial jobs