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Social media & marketing director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a social media & marketing director. Social media & marketing directors usually study business, marketing, or communication. 76% of social media & marketing directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,265 real social media & marketing director resumes to see exactly what social media & marketing director education sections show.
The most common colleges for social media & marketing directors are the Arizona State University and the Arizona State University.
There are also many online social media & marketing director courses to help get the education required to be a social media & marketing director.
There are certain social media & marketing director certifications that you should consider. These social media & marketing director certifications include Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) and Certified Social Marketing Associate (CSMA).
What education do you need to become a social media & marketing director?
What degree do you need to be a social media & marketing director?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a social media & marketing director?
- Business, 17%
- Marketing, 16%
- Communication, 16%
- Psychology, 6%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for social media & marketing directors
| Social media & marketing director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Arizona State University | 9.24% |
| Northeastern University | 7.07% |
| Full Sail University | 6.52% |
| San Diego State University | 5.98% |
| University of California - Davis | 5.98% |
Best majors for social media & marketing directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 16.9% |
| 2 | Marketing | 16.3% |
| 3 | Communication | 15.8% |
| 4 | Psychology | 5.9% |
| 5 | English | 5.9% |
Best colleges for social media & marketing directors
The best colleges for social media & marketing directors are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
A social media & marketing 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 social media & marketing 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 social media & marketing directors.
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 & marketing directors
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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
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6. Social Media Marketing - Content Marketing Masterclass
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7. Digital Marketing Agency Start a Social Media Business
Build a Digital Marketing Agency Business with Social Media (SMMA), Chat GPT, Facebook Ads, Instagram, Word Press, SEO...
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...
9. Data Product Manager
Leverage data to build products that deliver the right experiences, to the right users, at the right time. Lead the development of data-driven products that position businesses to win in their market...
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11. Social Media Marketing Advertising with Dekker, MBA 2023
Udemy Social Media Marketing (Unofficial) for Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, Reddit, Quora, You Tube Etc...
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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. Online Marketing: SEO & Social Media Marketing Strategy
2023 growth hacking with top web marketing and Internet marketing strategies: Social media marketing strategies + SEO...
19. Powerful Social Media Marketing For Beginners
Master Social Media Marketing, Become an Irreplaceable Social Media Manager & Grow Your Successful Social Media Business...
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 & marketing directors
The most affordable schools for social media & marketing directors are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and fashion institute of technology.
If the best universities for social media & marketing 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 social media & marketing directors.
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 & marketing directors
The hardest universities for social media & marketing directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for social media & marketing 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 social media & marketing 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. 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
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 & marketing directors
The easiest schools for social media & marketing directors 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 & marketing 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 social media & marketing directors.
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 & marketing director salary by education level
| Social media & marketing director education level | Social media & marketing director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $89,262 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $78,562 |
| Doctorate Degree | $93,379 |
Social media & marketing director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025