Post job

Social media associate education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a social media associate. Social media associates usually study communication, marketing, or business. 83% of social media associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 6% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 976 real social media associate resumes to see exactly what social media associate education sections show.

The most common colleges for social media associates are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

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

What education do you need to become a social media associate?

What degree do you need to be a social media associate?

The most common degree for social media associates is bachelor's degree, with 83% of social media associates earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 6% and associate degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 83%
  • Associate, 6%
  • Master's, 6%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a social media associate?

You should major in communication to become a social media associate. 21% of social media associates major in communication. Other common majors for a social media associate include marketing and business.

Most common colleges for social media associates

Social media associates often get their degrees at University of California, Santa Barbara, San Diego State University, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for social media associates in the US based on their resumes.
Social media associate common collegePercentages
University of California, Santa Barbara7.87%
San Diego State University7.87%
University of California - Davis7.87%
Arizona State University6.30%
Temple University5.51%

Best majors for social media associates

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication21.3%
2Marketing15.3%
3Business11.4%
4Journalism7.1%
5Public Relations6.7%

Best colleges for social media associates

The best colleges for social media associates are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

A social media associate 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 associates. 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 associates.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

7. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

20 best online courses for social media associates

Advertising disclosure

1. Data Streaming

udacity

Learn how to process data in real-time by building fluency in modern data engineering tools, such as Apache Spark, Kafka, Spark Streaming, and Kafka Streaming. ...

2. Meta Social Media Marketing

coursera

Want to turn your passion for social media into a career? In this program, you’ll learn how to create a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram that people want to follow! Social media marketing jobs are amongst the most in-demand skills for organizations of all sizes. Whether you’re completely new to digital marketing or you’ve been tinkering with social media platforms for your own business, you’ve come to the right place. This six-course program designed by experts at Meta and Aptly...

3. Social Media Marketing - Content Marketing Masterclass

udemy
4.5
(5,616)

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

4. Social Media Monitoring

udemy
4.2
(828)

Our new course on Social Media Monitoring in a post Google Reader World is coming soon...

5. Digital Marketing Agency Start a Social Media Business

udemy
4.7
(4,192)

Build a Digital Marketing Agency Business with Social Media (SMMA), Chat GPT, Facebook Ads, Instagram, Word Press, SEO...

6. Social Media Marketing - Complete Certificate Course

udemy
4.3
(10,732)

The comprehensive social media course, beginner to advanced. Go viral, get started today!...

7. Online Marketing: SEO & Social Media Marketing Strategy

udemy
4.7
(2,010)

2023 growth hacking with top web marketing and Internet marketing strategies: Social media marketing strategies + SEO...

8. Social Media Marketing Advertising with Dekker, MBA 2023

udemy
4.7
(487)

Udemy Social Media Marketing (Unofficial) for Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, Reddit, Quora, You Tube Etc...

9. Social Media Marketing - Step By Step Blueprint

udemy
4.6
(351)

Social Media Marketing strategies you can use to generate FREE traffic & money. Build a massive following and go viral!...

10. Social Media Marketing Agency: Digital Marketing + Business

udemy
4.5
(6,320)

Learn to build a business, find clients, & social media marketing all in one. Facebook ads, Instagram, Google ads & .....

11. Social Media Marketing MASTERY 2023 Ads on 10+ Platforms

udemy
4.4
(20,565)

MASTER online marketing on Meta, Pinterest, Instagram, You Tube, Facebook, Google and more ad platforms! Coursenvy...

12. Social Media Marketing Strategy 2023: Launch Your SMM!

udemy
4.5
(2,605)

In-depth social media marketing strategy and management course for businesses. Turn subscribers into real customers!...

13. The Ultimate SEO, Social Media, & Digital Marketing Course

udemy
4.4
(2,550)

Copywriting, Chat GPT, SEO, Google Ads, You Tube Ads, Bing Ads, Meta Ads, Linked In Ads, Word Press, Woo Commerce, GA4 + more...

14. Facebook Social Media Sales Success

udemy
4.2
(272)

How to Use Social Sites, like Facebook, Twitter and Linked In, to Grow Your Business...

15. Social Media Marketing Course -The Step by Step Guide

udemy
4.3
(1,151)

The comprehensive social media course, For Expert To Avoid Mistakes. Go viral, get started today!...

16. Run a Social Media Marketing Online Business

udemy
4.2
(649)

A profitable online business. Quick to set up. Repeat income. Your own Social Media Marketing online business...

17. Social Media Marketing & Management ⎢Certificate Course 2023

udemy
4.1
(379)

Startup Beginners Course with Certificate: Social Media Marketing, Facebook, You Tube, Tik Tok, Email, SEO, Medium, Reddit...

18. Go Viral on 6 Social Media Marketing Platforms

udemy
4.2
(755)

Secrets to Increase Fans, Engagement & Reach on You Tube, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Quora & Linkedin...

19. Social Media Film School: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube & AI

udemy
4.5
(287)

4-in-1 Course + Chat GPT to Supercharge Your Videography, Video Editing & Social Media Content Chat GPT 4 & Filmmaking...

20. Powerful Social Media Marketing For Beginners

udemy
4.5
(2,994)

Master Social Media Marketing, Become an Irreplaceable Social Media Manager & Grow Your Successful Social Media Business...

Top 10 most affordable universities for social media associates

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

If the best universities for social media associates 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 associates.

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for social media associates

The hardest universities for social media associates to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for social media associates 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 associates 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for social media associates

The easiest schools for social media associates to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a social media associate 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 associates.

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. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average social media associate salary by education level

According to our data, social media associates with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $54,059 annually. Social media associates with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $51,081.
Social media associate education levelSocial media associate salary
Master's Degree$54,059
Bachelor's Degree$51,081

Social media associate education FAQs

Search for social media associate jobs

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.

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs