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Strategic communications consultant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a strategic communications consultant. Strategic communications consultants usually study communication, journalism, or political science. 76% of strategic communications consultants hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 377 real strategic communications consultant resumes to see exactly what strategic communications consultant education sections show.

The most common colleges for strategic communications consultants are the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

There are also many online strategic communications consultant courses to help get the education required to be a strategic communications consultant.

What education do you need to become a strategic communications consultant?

What degree do you need to be a strategic communications consultant?

The most common degree for strategic communications consultants is bachelor's degree, with 76% of strategic communications consultants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 2%.
  • Bachelor's, 76%
  • Master's, 20%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 0%

What should I major in to become a strategic communications consultant?

You should major in communication to become a strategic communications consultant. 23% of strategic communications consultants major in communication. Other common majors for a strategic communications consultant include journalism and political science.

Most common colleges for strategic communications consultants

Strategic communications consultants often get their degrees at University of Colorado at Boulder, Georgetown University, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for strategic communications consultants in the US based on their resumes.
Strategic communications consultant common collegePercentages
University of Colorado at Boulder9.46%
Georgetown University9.46%
New York University8.11%
American University6.76%
George Mason University6.76%

Best majors for strategic communications consultants

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication22.7%
2Journalism10.2%
3Political Science10.2%
4English9.4%
5Public Relations7.0%

Best colleges for strategic communications consultants

The best colleges for strategic communications consultants are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.

A strategic communications consultant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for strategic communications consultants. 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 strategic communications consultants.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. Texas State University

San Marcos, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,280

Enrollment

34,187

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for strategic communications consultants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for strategic communications consultants

The most affordable schools for strategic communications consultants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for strategic communications consultants 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 strategic communications consultants.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

6. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

7. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

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 strategic communications consultants

The hardest universities for strategic communications consultants to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for strategic communications consultants 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 strategic communications consultants 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

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. Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA • Private

Admissions rate

36%

SAT average

1,330

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for strategic communications consultants

The easiest schools for strategic communications consultants to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and saint joseph's college of maine.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a strategic communications consultant 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 strategic communications consultants.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

10. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

Average strategic communications consultant salary by education level

According to our data, strategic communications consultants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $88,039 annually. Strategic communications consultants with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $80,454.
Strategic communications consultant education levelStrategic communications consultant salary
Master's Degree$88,039
Bachelor's Degree$80,454

Strategic communications consultant 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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