Media buyer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a media buyer. Media buyers usually study communication, business, or marketing. 87% of media buyers hold a bachelor's degree, and 6% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,476 real media buyer resumes to see exactly what media buyer education sections show.

The most common colleges for media buyers are the Michigan State University and the Michigan State University.

There are also many online media buyer courses to help get the education required to be a media buyer.

There are certain media buyer certifications that you should consider. These media buyer certifications include Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate and Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI).

What education do you need to become a media buyer?

What degree do you need to be a media buyer?

The most common degree for media buyers is bachelor's degree, with 87% of media buyers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 6% and associate degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 87%

Associate, 6%

Master's, 4%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a media buyer?

You should major in communication to become a media buyer. 21% of media buyers major in communication. Other common majors for a media buyer include business and marketing.

Communication, 21%

Business, 16%

Marketing, 15%

Advertising, 8%

Other Majors, 40%

Most common colleges for media buyers

Media buyers often get their degrees at Michigan State University, New York University, and University of Kansas. Here are the most common colleges for media buyers in the US based on their resumes.

Media buyer common college	Percentages
Michigan State University	7.91%
New York University	5.76%
University of Kansas	5.76%
California State University - San Bernardino	5.76%
Florida State University	5.76%

Show more common media buyer colleges

Best majors for media buyers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Communication	21.2%
2	Business	16.2%
3	Marketing	15.4%
4	Advertising	7.9%
5	Public Relations	6.2%

Show more common media buyer majors

Best colleges for media buyers

The best colleges for media buyers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

A media buyer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for media buyers. 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 media buyers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

9. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

10. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

20 best online courses for media buyers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for media buyers

The most affordable schools for media buyers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for media buyers 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 media buyers.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for media buyers

The hardest universities for media buyers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for media buyers 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 media buyers 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

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for media buyers

The easiest schools for media buyers to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a media buyer 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 media buyers.

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. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average media buyer salary by education level

According to our data, media buyers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $90,729 annually. Media buyers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $81,801.

Media buyer education level	Media buyer salary
Master's Degree	$90,729
High School Diploma or Less	$70,288
Bachelor's Degree	$81,801
Some College/ Associate Degree	$68,513

Media buyer education FAQs

What is the best college for Media Buyers?

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

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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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