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Media executive education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a media executive. Media executives usually study communication, business, or marketing. 77% of media executives hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 480 real media executive resumes to see exactly what media executive education sections show.
The most common colleges for media executives are the Arizona State University and the Arizona State University.
There are also many online media executive courses to help get the education required to be a media executive.
What education do you need to become a media executive?
What degree do you need to be a media executive?
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 5%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a media executive?
- Communication, 20%
- Business, 12%
- Marketing, 12%
- English, 8%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for media executives
| Media executive common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Arizona State University | 7.41% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.41% |
| Northwestern University | 7.41% |
| Boston University | 5.56% |
| University of California - Los Angeles | 5.56% |
Best majors for media executives
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 19.8% |
| 2 | Business | 11.9% |
| 3 | Marketing | 11.6% |
| 4 | English | 8.2% |
| 5 | Public Relations | 7.8% |
Best colleges for media executives
The best colleges for media executives are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.
A media executive 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 executives. 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 executives.
1. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for media executives
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Top 10 most affordable universities for media executives
The most affordable schools for media executives are University of Florida, fashion institute of technology, and florida state university.
If the best universities for media executives 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 executives.
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. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for media executives
The hardest universities for media executives to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for media executives 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 executives 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
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. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
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 media executives
The easiest schools for media executives 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 media executive 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 executives.
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. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
Average media executive salary by education level
| Media executive education level | Media executive salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $108,993 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $83,137 |
| Doctorate Degree | $119,930 |
Media executive education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025