Social media and web manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a social media and web manager. Social media and web managers usually study communication, business, or journalism. 72% of social media and web managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 778 real social media and web manager resumes to see exactly what social media and web manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for social media and web managers are the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Austin.

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

What education do you need to become a social media and web manager?

What degree do you need to be a social media and web manager?

The most common degree for social media and web managers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of social media and web managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 12% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 72%

Associate, 12%

Master's, 10%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a social media and web manager?

You should major in communication to become a social media and web manager. 16% of social media and web managers major in communication. Other common majors for a social media and web manager include business and journalism.

Communication, 16%

Business, 11%

Journalism, 10%

Graphic Design, 7%

Other Majors, 56%

Most common colleges for social media and web managers

Social media and web managers often get their degrees at University of Texas at Austin, University of Phoenix, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for social media and web managers in the US based on their resumes.

Social media and web manager common college	Percentages
University of Texas at Austin	10.98%
University of Phoenix	8.54%
University of California, Santa Barbara	7.32%
Emory University	6.10%
DeVry University	6.10%

Show more common social media and web manager colleges

Best majors for social media and web managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Communication	15.9%
2	Business	10.6%
3	Journalism	10.4%
4	Graphic Design	7.3%
5	English	6.8%

Show more common social media and web manager majors

Best colleges for social media and web managers

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

A social media and web 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 social media and web 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 social media and web managers.

1. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

3. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

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. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for social media and web managers

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Start a home based business as a freelance social media manager. Find clients, deliver services and build your brand...

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4.5

(5,616)

Online Digital Marketing / Social Media Strategy For Beginners - Posts / Blogs / Podcasts / Video / Google Local SEO...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for social media and web managers

The most affordable schools for social media and web managers are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and fashion institute of technology.

If the best universities for social media and web 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 social media and web managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for social media and web managers

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

Some great schools for social media and web 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 social media and web 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

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

SAT average

1,492

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

8. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for social media and web managers

The easiest schools for social media and web managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a social media and web 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 social media and web managers.

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. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

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. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average social media and web manager salary by education level

According to our data, social media and web managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $82,215 annually. Social media and web managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $78,579.

Social media and web manager education level	Social media and web manager salary
Master's Degree	$78,579
Bachelor's Degree	$69,134
Doctorate Degree	$82,215

Social media and web manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Social Media And Web Managers?

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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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