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Media relations assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a media relations assistant. Media relations assistants usually study communication, public relations, or journalism. 80% of media relations assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,092 real media relations assistant resumes to see exactly what media relations assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for media relations assistants are the George Washington University, The and the George Washington University, The.

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

There are certain media relations assistant certifications that you should consider. These media relations assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI).

What education do you need to become a media relations assistant?

What degree do you need to be a media relations assistant?

The most common degree for media relations assistants is bachelor's degree, with 80% of media relations assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 8% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 80%
  • Master's, 8%
  • Associate, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a media relations assistant?

You should major in communication to become a media relations assistant. 19% of media relations assistants major in communication. Other common majors for a media relations assistant include public relations and journalism.

Most common colleges for media relations assistants

Media relations assistants often get their degrees at George Washington University, The, Arizona State University, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for media relations assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Media relations assistant common collegePercentages
George Washington University, The8.45%
Arizona State University7.04%
University of Florida6.57%
University of Maryland - College Park6.10%
Howard University5.16%

Best majors for media relations assistants

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication18.6%
2Public Relations11.6%
3Journalism10.9%
4Business10.6%
5Kinesiology9.2%

Best colleges for media relations assistants

The best colleges for media relations assistants are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.

A media relations assistant 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 relations assistants. 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 relations assistants.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

9. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

20 best online courses for media relations assistants

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1. Data Streaming

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6. Relational Databases for Beginners

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Top 10 most affordable universities for media relations assistants

The most affordable schools for media relations assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for media relations assistants 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 relations assistants.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for media relations assistants

The hardest universities for media relations assistants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for media relations assistants 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 relations assistants 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

7. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

8. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA • Private

Admissions rate

36%

SAT average

1,330

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for media relations assistants

The easiest schools for media relations assistants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a media relations assistant 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 relations assistants.

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. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average media relations assistant salary by education level

According to our data, media relations assistants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $48,712 annually. Media relations assistants with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $45,852.
Media relations assistant education levelMedia relations assistant salary
Master's Degree$48,712
Bachelor's Degree$45,852

Media relations assistant education FAQs

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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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