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Media relations director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a media relations director. Media relations directors usually study communication, journalism, or political science. 84% of media relations directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,207 real media relations director resumes to see exactly what media relations director education sections show.
The most common colleges for media relations directors are the Syracuse University and the Syracuse University.
There are also many online media relations director courses to help get the education required to be a media relations director.
What education do you need to become a media relations director?
What degree do you need to be a media relations director?
- Bachelor's, 84%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 4%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a media relations director?
- Communication, 22%
- Journalism, 22%
- English, 7%
- Other Majors, 41%
Most common colleges for media relations directors
| Media relations director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Syracuse University | 10.26% |
| Boston University | 7.05% |
| New York University | 6.41% |
| University of Florida | 5.77% |
| George Washington University, The | 5.77% |
Best majors for media relations directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 22.0% |
| 2 | Journalism | 21.6% |
| 3 | Political Science | 8.4% |
| 4 | English | 6.7% |
| 5 | Business | 6.4% |
Best colleges for media relations directors
The best colleges for media relations directors are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
A media relations director 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 directors. 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 directors.
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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
10. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
20 best online courses for media relations directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for media relations directors
The most affordable schools for media relations directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for media relations directors 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 directors.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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 directors
The hardest universities for media relations directors to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for media relations directors 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 directors 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
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. 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 directors
The easiest schools for media relations directors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur 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 relations director 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 directors.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
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. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
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. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
Average media relations director salary by education level
| Media relations director education level | Media relations director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $138,098 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $119,419 |
Media relations director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025