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Media manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a media manager. Media managers usually study communication, business, or marketing. 81% of media managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,067 real media manager resumes to see exactly what media manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for media managers are the New York University and the New York University.

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

There are certain media manager certifications that you should consider. These media manager certifications include Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI) and MEDIC First Aid BasicPlus - G2010.

What education do you need to become a media manager?

What degree do you need to be a media manager?

The most common degree for media managers is bachelor's degree, with 81% of media managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 81%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a media manager?

You should major in communication to become a media manager. 18% of media managers major in communication. Other common majors for a media manager include business and marketing.

Most common colleges for media managers

Media managers often get their degrees at New York University, Syracuse University, and Hofstra University. Here are the most common colleges for media managers in the US based on their resumes.
Media manager common collegePercentages
New York University8.16%
Syracuse University7.82%
Hofstra University5.78%
Pennsylvania State University5.44%
Boston University5.44%

Best majors for media managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication18.2%
2Business12.8%
3Marketing11.1%
4Photography10.3%
5Journalism6.7%

Best colleges for media managers

The best colleges for media managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A media manager 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 managers. 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 managers.

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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

7. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for media managers

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20. Growth Product Manager

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Top 10 most affordable universities for media managers

The most affordable schools for media managers are University of Florida, fashion institute of technology, and florida state university.

If the best universities for media managers 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 managers.

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. 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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for media managers

The hardest universities for media managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for media managers 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 managers 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

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

The easiest schools for media managers to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan 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 manager 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 managers.

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. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average media manager salary by education level

According to our data, media managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $118,105 annually. Media managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $113,090.
Media manager education levelMedia manager salary
Master's Degree$113,090
Bachelor's Degree$100,014
Doctorate Degree$118,105

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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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