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Senior strategist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior strategist. Senior strategists usually study business, marketing, or communication. 73% of senior strategists hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,192 real senior strategist resumes to see exactly what senior strategist education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior strategists are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online senior strategist courses to help get the education required to be a senior strategist.

There are certain senior strategist certifications that you should consider. These senior strategist certifications include Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).

What education do you need to become a senior strategist?

What degree do you need to be a senior strategist?

The most common degree for senior strategists is bachelor's degree, with 73% of senior strategists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 3%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Master's, 20%
  • Associate, 3%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a senior strategist?

You should major in business to become a senior strategist. 17% of senior strategists major in business. Other common majors for a senior strategist include marketing and communication.

Most common colleges for senior strategists

Senior strategists often get their degrees at New York University, Northwestern University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for senior strategists in the US based on their resumes.
Senior strategist common collegePercentages
New York University10.29%
Northwestern University7.35%
University of Maryland - College Park7.35%
University of Texas at Austin6.86%
Michigan State University6.37%

Best majors for senior strategists

RankMajorPercentages
1Business16.8%
2Marketing12.1%
3Communication10.0%
4Finance7.6%
5Political Science6.5%

Best colleges for senior strategists

The best colleges for senior strategists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

A senior strategist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior strategists. 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 senior strategists.

1. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

2. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

5. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

20 best online courses for senior strategists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior strategists

The most affordable schools for senior strategists are University of Florida, usf sarasota-manatee, and fashion institute of technology.

If the best universities for senior strategists 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 senior strategists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior strategists

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

Some great schools for senior strategists 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 senior strategists 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

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. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior strategists

The easiest schools for senior strategists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior strategist 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 senior strategists.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

7. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

8. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

9. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

10. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

Average senior strategist salary by education level

Senior strategists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $129,519 annually. With a Master's degree, senior strategists earn a median annual income of $123,816 compared to $108,995 for senior strategists with an Bachelor's degree.
Senior strategist education levelSenior strategist salary
Master's Degree$123,816
Bachelor's Degree$108,995
Doctorate Degree$129,519

Senior strategist 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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