Marketing major
Marketing: courses, careers, and where to study
Marketing majors learn how to identify, reach, and convert customers, combining strategy, consumer behavior, digital channels, brand management, and analytics.
A Marketing major covers consumer behavior, marketing research, digital marketing, brand management, advertising, sales, marketing analytics, and channel strategy. Modern programs lean heavily into digital and analytics, search marketing, paid social, content marketing, marketing automation, and data-driven decision-making. Marketing pairs well with double majors in Communications, Computer Science (for marketing analytics), or Psychology (for consumer behavior).
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Marketing maps to CIP 52.1401, Marketing/Marketing Management, General, within the BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES family. The official definition:
A program that generally prepares individuals to undertake and manage the process of developing consumer audiences and moving products from producers to consumers. Includes instruction in buyer behavior and dynamics, principle of marketing research, demand analysis, cost-volume and profit relationships, pricing theory, marketing campaign and strategic planning, market segments, advertising methods, sales operations and management, consumer relations, retailing, and applications to specific products and markets.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Marketing is awarded as
Of the 49,959 Marketing credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate5%2,355
- Associate4%1,751
- Bachelor's87%43,411
- Graduate5%2,442
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 49 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 13 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Marketing principles and the 4 Ps
- Consumer behavior and decision-making
- Digital marketing (SEO, paid search, paid social, email)
- Marketing research and analytics
- Brand management and positioning
- Advertising and integrated communications
- Sales fundamentals
- Marketing strategy capstone
Typical careers
- Marketing Coordinator
- Brand Manager
- Digital Marketing Manager
- Marketing Analyst
- Product Marketing Manager
- Account Executive
Typical salary range: $54,000–$78,000 early-career (BLS, 2024 market research analysts and marketing specialists median $76,950)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Marketing, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $76,950 | 87,200 | +6.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Sales Managers | $138,060 | 49,000 | +4.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Marketing Managers | $161,030 | 34,300 | +6.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Fundraisers | $66,490 | 10,200 | +4.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Business Teachers, Postsecondary | $97,270 | 8,100 | +5.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Fundraising Managers | $123,480 | 3,600 | +4.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | $126,960 | 2,100 | -2.2% | Bachelor's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 7 of these 7 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Marketing does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Marketing major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Marketing program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Marketing department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Marketing program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Marketing credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Southern New Hampshire UniversityNH · 634
- The University of AlabamaAL · 582
- Western Governors UniversityUT · 581
- Florida International UniversityFL · 567
- University of Cincinnati-Main CampusOH · 553
- Ohio State University-Main CampusOH · 546
- Florida State UniversityFL · 531
- University of HoustonTX · 497
- University of GeorgiaGA · 449
- University of South FloridaFL · 445
- Grand Canyon UniversityAZ · 440
- University of KentuckyKY · 439
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Marketing credentials were awarded
20 states have a distinct enough set of Marketing colleges to be worth its own page.
Related majors
Business Administration
Business Administration is the most popular U.S. major, a broad foundation in accounting, finance, marketing, management, and economics that prepares graduates for nearly any industry.
Communications
Communications studies how messages move through media, combining writing, public speaking, and media analysis with hands-on training in PR, journalism, broadcasting, or strategic communication.
Psychology
Psychology majors study human cognition, behavior, and emotion, preparing graduates for clinical, research, business, and human-services careers (and graduate school in clinical, counseling, and I/O psych).
Still deciding between Marketing and something else?
These guides put Marketingside by side with the major it is most often confused with, using the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk to show where the two actually lead.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Marketing degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Management careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Business & Finance careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Marketing degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Marketing path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.