Social media manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a social media manager. Social media managers usually study communication, business, or marketing. 79% of social media managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 17,983 real social media manager resumes to see exactly what social media manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for social media managers are the New York University and the New York University.

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

There are certain social media manager certifications that you should consider. These social media manager certifications include Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate and Hootsuite Enterprise Certification.

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

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

The most common degree for social media managers is bachelor's degree, with 79% of social media managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 9% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 79%

Associate, 9%

Master's, 7%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 2%

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

You should major in communication to become a social media manager. 19% of social media managers major in communication. Other common majors for a social media manager include business and marketing.

Communication, 19%

Business, 12%

Marketing, 11%

Journalism, 8%

Other Majors, 50%

Most common colleges for social media managers

Social media managers often get their degrees at New York University, Arizona State University, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for social media managers in the US based on their resumes.

Social media manager common college	Percentages
New York University	6.43%
Arizona State University	6.43%
University of California - Davis	6.29%
Full Sail University	5.37%
University of California, Santa Barbara	5.37%

Show more common social media manager colleges

Best majors for social media managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Communication	19.2%
2	Business	12.1%
3	Marketing	10.5%
4	Journalism	8.0%
5	English	7.0%

Show more common social media manager majors

Best colleges for social media managers

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

A social media 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 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 managers.

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. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for social media managers

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3. Predictive Analytics for Business

Learn to apply predictive analytics and business intelligence to solve real-world business problems...

4. Marketing Analytics

Gain an in-depth understanding of Google Analytics and marketing analytics. Analyze data and build models with Excel, Data Studio, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...

5. Meta Social Media Marketing

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...

6. Social Media Marketing - Content Marketing Masterclass

4.5

(5,616)

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

7. Become A Freelance Social Media Manager - Home Business

4.4

(1,015)

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

8. Product Manager

Envision and lead the product strategy of industry-defining products, and learn to successfully bring them to market. Influence the execution of product development as a Product Manager, one of the most highly-coveted roles in technology...

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10. Social Media Monitoring

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11. Powerful Social Media Marketing For Beginners

4.5

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

12. Digital Marketing

Gain real-world experience running live campaigns as you learn from top experts in the field. Launch your career with a 360-degree understanding of digital marketing...

13. AI for Business Leaders

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14. The Social Media Marketing & Management Masterclass 2023

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Master Social Media Marketing & Management, Digital Marketing, Facebook & Ads, Instagram, You Tube, Build a Strategy...

15. Social Media Marketing Advertising with Dekker, MBA 2023

4.7

(487)

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

16. Business Analytics

In this program, you will learn foundational data skills that apply across functions and industries. You will learn to analyze data and build models with Excel, query databases using SQL, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...

17. AI Product Manager

Learn to develop AI products that deliver business value. Build skills that help you compete in the new AI-powered world...

18. WIN at Starting a Social Media Management Business

4.4

(1,089)

Learn how to become a freelance social media manager. Get started with videos, templates & support. Join 8,000 students!...

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

4.5

(2,605)

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

20. Growth Product Manager

Hone specialized Product Management skills in growth strategy. Lead experimentation and data-driven decision-making in your organization to drive products to reach the next level of scale, impact, and profitability...

Top 10 most affordable universities for social media managers

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

If the best universities for social media 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 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. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

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 - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for social media managers

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

Some great schools for social media 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 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. 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

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

The easiest schools for social media managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a social media 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 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. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average social media manager salary by education level

Social media managers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $84,268 annually. With a Master's degree, social media managers earn a median annual income of $81,051 compared to $72,595 for social media managers with an Bachelor's degree.

Social media manager education level	Social media manager salary
Master's Degree	$81,051
Bachelor's Degree	$72,595
Doctorate Degree	$84,268

Social media manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Social Media Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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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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