# Best colleges for marketing

> Marketing bachelor's programs ranked by value: what graduates earn against debt, net price and completion. U.S. College Scorecard field-of-study data, data year 2025.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/marketing
- Data (CSV, every ranked college): https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/marketing.csv
- Snapshot updated: November 4, 2026
- Colleges ranked: 354 of 798 with a qualifying program

## Key findings

1. 354 colleges qualify. At the median one, marketing graduates earn $67,486 4 years after graduating, and the average net price is $17,699 a year.
2. University of Florida ranks first with a value score of 97.8: graduates earn $92,626 and the average net price is $5,969.
3. The highest earnings are at Brigham Young University-Provo ($112,596), which ranks #3 once cost, debt and graduation rate are counted.
4. Public colleges hold 20 of the top 25 places.

## Top 50

Earnings are median annual earnings 4 years after the bachelor's degree; debt is median federal loan debt; net price and graduation rate are college-wide.

| Rank | College | State | Control | Earnings | Debt | Net price | Grad rate | Graduates | Value score |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 1 | University of Florida | FL | Public | $92,626 | $12,500 | $5,969 | 92% | 192 | 97.8 |
| 2 | Florida State University | FL | Public | $84,981 | $12,875 | $8,605 | 86% | 531 | 93.0 |
| 3 | Brigham Young University-Provo | UT | Private nonprofit | $112,596 | $14,125 | $13,397 | 81% | 114 | 92.6 |
| 4 | Washington University in St Louis | MO | Private nonprofit | $100,489 | — | $13,360 | 93% | 77 | 92.5 |
| 5 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | IL | Public | $90,744 | $16,125 | $13,042 | 86% | 164 | 91.3 |
| 6 | University of Washington-Seattle | WA | Public | $88,114 | $12,948 | $13,663 | 85% | 200 | 89.6 |
| 7 | University of Maryland-College Park | MD | Public | $93,782 | $19,500 | $14,296 | 88% | 240 | 89.0 |
| 8 | University of Georgia | GA | Public | $85,785 | $14,079 | $13,636 | 89% | 449 | 88.9 |
| 9 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | Public | $96,148 | $15,750 | $16,600 | 90% | 243 | 87.5 |
| 10 | Purdue University | IN | Public | $84,725 | $15,030 | $14,851 | 84% | 127 | 85.8 |
| 11 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus | WA | Public | $88,114 | $12,948 | $13,802 | 68% | 62 | 84.9 |
| 12 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus | WA | Public | $88,114 | $12,948 | $11,900 | 60% | 43 | 84.4 |
| 13 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | Public | $91,955 | $17,858 | $18,554 | 89% | 162 | 83.4 |
| 14 | Utah State University | UT | Public | $87,905 | $13,000 | $12,644 | 60% | 136 | 83.3 |
| 15 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | MN | Public | $86,246 | $17,750 | $17,330 | 85% | 243 | 80.9 |
| 16 | University of Pennsylvania | PA | Private nonprofit | $112,211 | $7,500 | $29,577 | 97% | 60 | 78.6 |
| 17 | University of Central Florida | FL | Public | $72,440 | $16,000 | $11,516 | 78% | 217 | 77.8 |
| 18 | University of Arizona | AZ | Public | $84,111 | $16,979 | $17,125 | 71% | 217 | 77.6 |
| 19 | The University of Texas at Dallas | TX | Public | $73,732 | $14,000 | $15,271 | 79% | 163 | 76.9 |
| 20 | University of Notre Dame-South Bend | IN | Private nonprofit | $91,088 | $19,000 | $25,339 | 95% | 53 | 76.8 |
| 21 | James Madison University | VA | Public | $89,944 | $17,596 | $23,550 | 80% | 168 | 76.7 |
| 22 | Ohio State University | OH | Public | $81,119 | $19,500 | $17,269 | 87% | 546 | 76.7 |
| 23 | Georgetown University-DC | DC | Private nonprofit | $105,944 | $16,000 | $33,661 | 94% | 60 | 76.5 |
| 24 | Michigan State University | MI | Public | $90,453 | $20,750 | $21,322 | 80% | 257 | 76.4 |
| 25 | University of Michigan-Dearborn | MI | Public | $73,340 | $16,525 | $7,863 | 61% | 45 | 76.1 |
| 26 | University of Delaware | DE | Public | $88,383 | $25,000 | $16,337 | 78% | 206 | 75.9 |
| 27 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | Public | $75,099 | $14,824 | $14,694 | 67% | 418 | 75.4 |
| 28 | Lehigh University | PA | Private nonprofit | $98,320 | $23,250 | $25,272 | 85% | 52 | 75.1 |
| 29 | Boston College | MA | Private nonprofit | $106,353 | $19,000 | $38,930 | 90% | 105 | 74.8 |
| 30 | Santa Clara University | CA | Private nonprofit | $104,723 | $19,500 | $36,116 | 87% | 74 | 74.7 |
| 31 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | OK | Public | $77,606 | $19,500 | $15,531 | 75% | 337 | 74.6 |
| 32 | Binghamton University | NY | Public | $80,825 | $16,750 | $20,907 | 82% | 89 | 74.5 |
| 33 | University of Connecticut | CT | Public | $89,208 | $20,500 | $24,342 | 84% | 110 | 74.3 |
| 34 | University of Illinois at Chicago | IL | Public | $71,293 | $15,000 | $9,540 | 61% | 206 | 74.1 |
| 35 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | MA | Public | $86,299 | $19,500 | $22,857 | 81% | 229 | 74.0 |
| 36 | Clemson University | SC | Public | $81,109 | $18,375 | $22,032 | 88% | 406 | 73.3 |
| 37 | Tulane University of Louisiana | LA | Private nonprofit | $98,503 | $18,000 | $40,693 | 87% | 156 | 73.2 |
| 38 | Texas Christian University | TX | Private nonprofit | $97,148 | $20,250 | $35,045 | 86% | 165 | 73.1 |
| 39 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | Public | $86,338 | $19,500 | $25,808 | 86% | 279 | 73.0 |
| 40 | Washington State University | WA | Public | $76,595 | $19,174 | $13,462 | 63% | 240 | 73.0 |
| 41 | Texas A & M University-College Station | TX | Public | $76,035 | $13,000 | $21,527 | 85% | 205 | 72.6 |
| 42 | Weber State University | UT | Public | $77,828 | — | $10,237 | 50% | 25 | 72.4 |
| 43 | Elon University | NC | Private nonprofit | $95,163 | $19,500 | $35,785 | 81% | 124 | 72.2 |
| 44 | George Washington University | DC | Private nonprofit | $95,528 | $20,500 | $35,760 | 83% | 38 | 71.9 |
| 45 | University of Northern Iowa | IA | Public | $72,757 | $15,000 | $16,038 | 69% | 37 | 71.1 |
| 46 | Trinity University-Texas | TX | Private nonprofit | $84,347 | — | $22,962 | 82% | 21 | 70.8 |
| 47 | Villanova University | PA | Private nonprofit | $102,222 | $24,524 | $41,536 | 93% | 79 | 70.4 |
| 48 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion | AZ | Public | $75,099 | $14,824 | $11,594 | 26% | 67 | 70.0 |
| 49 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | SC | Public | $81,945 | $20,500 | $22,197 | 79% | 351 | 69.7 |
| 50 | University of Miami | FL | Private nonprofit | $85,935 | $17,093 | $36,483 | 84% | 150 | 69.6 |

## Methodology

- **Programs counted.** Bachelor's degrees reported under CIP 52.14 at public and private nonprofit colleges published on CollegesRef. When a college reports more than one qualifying program, its largest one is used.
- **Eligibility.** A college needs at least 20 graduates in the latest award year, reported median earnings 4 years after graduation, and a published average net price and graduation rate. A field is published only when at least 50 colleges qualify.
- **Value score.** Each figure is turned into a 0–100 percentile among ranked colleges (100 is best: highest earnings or graduation rate, lowest net price or debt-to-earnings). The value score is the weighted average: graduate earnings 40%, average net price 25%, debt-to-earnings 20%, graduation rate 15%. If a college reports no debt figure, that weight is shared among the other three.
- **Earnings and debt.** Median annual earnings 4 years after completing the bachelor's degree, for graduates who received federal aid and were working. Debt is the median federal loan amount borrowed at the college by those graduates (College Scorecard field of study).
- **Cost and completion.** Average net price is what aided first-year students pay after grants, for the whole college rather than the major. Graduation rate is the college-wide share finishing within six years (150% of normal time).

## Limits

- **Value, not prestige.** The score rewards high earnings at a low cost. It does not measure research strength, faculty, selectivity or reputation, so famous programs can rank below less-known ones.
- **Earnings lag.** Earnings describe students who graduated several years ago and were measured years later. Today's job market and starting salaries can differ.
- **Suppressed small programs.** The Department of Education withholds figures for small groups of graduates to protect privacy, so many small programs cannot be ranked at all.
- **Federal aid recipients only.** Earnings and debt cover graduates who received federal grants or loans; students who paid without federal aid are not included.

## FAQ

### What is the best college for marketing?

On value, University of Florida ranks first in this ranking: marketing graduates earn a median of $92,626 4 years after graduating, and the average net price is $5,969 a year. "Best" depends on what you need; this ranking weighs earnings against cost, debt and graduation rate.

### What do marketing graduates go on to do?

Graduates work in brand management, digital marketing, sales and market research. The earnings here are medians for graduates who received federal aid, 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

### Why are some well-known marketing programs ranked low or missing?

The ranking measures value, not prestige. A college with high earnings but a high net price can rank below a cheaper college with slightly lower earnings. Programs are missing when federal data suppresses their earnings, when they have fewer graduates than the threshold, or when they are reported under a CIP code this ranking does not count.

### Can I see colleges in my state only?

Yes. Use the state filter above the list; ranks stay national so you can see where each college stands overall. You can also filter by public or private and by a maximum net price, or download the full CSV.

### Does the net price shown apply to marketing students?

No. Average net price is reported for the whole college, not by major. Your own price depends on your family's finances; each college's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (field of study, cost and completion): https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- CollegesRef methodology: https://www.collegesref.com/methodology

## How to cite

CollegesRef, "Best colleges for marketing," value ranking from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data (data year 2025), updated November 4, 2026. https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/marketing

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Source: CollegesRef, https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/marketing.