Media planner and buyer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a media planner and buyer. Media planner and buyers usually study communication, business, or marketing. 89% of media planner and buyers hold a bachelor's degree, and 6% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,427 real media planner and buyer resumes to see exactly what media planner and buyer education sections show.

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

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

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

What education do you need to become a media planner and buyer?

What degree do you need to be a media planner and buyer?

The most common degree for media planner and buyers is bachelor's degree, with 89% of media planner and buyers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 6% and master's degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 89%

Master's, 6%

Associate, 4%

Diploma, 0%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a media planner and buyer?

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

Communication, 21%

Business, 15%

Marketing, 15%

Advertising, 11%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for media planner and buyers

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

Media planner and buyer common college	Percentages
Michigan State University	10.33%
University of Texas at Austin	9.39%
University of Kansas	5.63%
Towson University	5.63%
Ball State University	5.63%

Show more common media planner and buyer colleges

Best majors for media planner and buyers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Communication	20.9%
2	Business	14.9%
3	Marketing	14.5%
4	Advertising	11.0%
5	Public Relations	7.2%

Show more common media planner and buyer majors

Best colleges for media planner and buyers

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

A media planner and 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 planner and 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 planner and 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 planner and buyers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for media planner and buyers

The most affordable schools for media planner and 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 planner and 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 planner and 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 planner and buyers

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

Some great schools for media planner and 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 planner and 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 planner and buyers

The easiest schools for media planner and 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 planner and 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 planner and 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 planner and buyer salary by education level

According to our data, media planner and buyers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $78,572 annually. Media planner and buyers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $70,110.

Media planner and buyer education level	Media planner and buyer salary
Master's Degree	$78,572
High School Diploma or Less	$59,335
Bachelor's Degree	$70,110
Some College/ Associate Degree	$57,689

Media planner and buyer education FAQs

What is the best college for Media Planner And 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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