Best Advertising programs in California, ranked by enrollment
Plan, direct, or coordinate advertising policies and programs or produce collateral materials, such as posters, contests, coupons, or giveaways, to create extra interest in the purchase of a product or service for a department, an entire.
36 schools in California run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,364 people a year. The job pays a median of $167,230 in California across about 3,080 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in California that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
4 programs in California that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in California (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own California page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 52.1401In California → | 729 | 53.4% | 18 | $44,670 | $24,250 |
| 2 | CIP 09.0900In California → | 249 | 18.3% | 12 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 3 | CIP 09.0902In California → | 210 | 15.4% | 5 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 4 | CIP 09.0903In California → | 176 | 12.9% | 8 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
Top 25 schools in California
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 14 of the 36 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 245 | Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $50,041 | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 2 | Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 160 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $48,281 | 79% | $36,488 | 45% |
| 3 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 134 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $58,493 | 88% | $44,094 | 48% |
| 4 | University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 108 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $44,891 | 70% | $37,121 | 62% |
| 5 | University of San Diego San Diego, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 88 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $56,313 | 84% | $26,035 | 52% |
| 6 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 64 | Public Relations/Image Management | $28,226 | 69% | — | 46% |
| 7 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 62 | Advertising | — | 36% | — | — |
| 8 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 60 | Public Relations/Image Management | — | 69% | — | 85% |
| 9 | California Baptist University Riverside, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 58 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $41,108 | 62% | $26,940 | 85% |
| 10 | Pepperdine University Malibu, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 48 | Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $45,988 | 83% | $41,986 | 63% |
| 11 | California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 47 | Public Relations/Image Management | $38,798 | 43% | — | 93% |
| 12 | Menlo College Atherton, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 45 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $49,788 | 54% | $26,655 | 68% |
| 13 | Chapman University Orange, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 37 | Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $40,141 | 82% | $42,965 | 65% |
| 14 | California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 33 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $37,016 | 57% | — | 93% |
| 15 | Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 28 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 77% | $48,795 | 84% |
| 16 | National University San Diego, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 20 | Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $50,070 | 43% | $31,817 | — |
| 17 | Palomar College San Marcos, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 20 | Advertising | — | 38% | — | — |
| 18 | Biola University La Mirada, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 16 | Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $36,319 | 68% | $26,727 | 74% |
| 19 | La Sierra University Riverside, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 60% | $26,504 | 91% |
| 20 | Westcliff University Irvine, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 62% | $26,754 | 73% |
| 21 | Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | — | 62% | $20,686 | 88% |
| 22 | Fresno Pacific University Fresno, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 50% | $14,298 | 64% |
| 23 | California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 70% | $23,129 | 76% |
| 24 | Canada College Redwood City, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 47% | — | — |
| 25 | Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 53% | $25,892 | 73% |
All 36 schools in California
Every school in California with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 245 | 3 |
| Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 160 | 1 |
| Santa Clara University | Santa Clara | Private not-for-profit | 134 | 1 |
| University of San Francisco | San Francisco | Private not-for-profit | 108 | 2 |
| University of San Diego | San Diego | Private not-for-profit | 88 | 1 |
| California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach | Public | 64 | 1 |
| Santa Monica College | Santa Monica | Public | 62 | 1 |
| San Jose State University | San Jose | Public | 60 | 2 |
| California Baptist University | Riverside | Private not-for-profit | 58 | 2 |
| Pepperdine University | Malibu | Private not-for-profit | 48 | 2 |
| California State University - Dominguez Hills | Carson | Public | 47 | 1 |
| Menlo College | Atherton | Private not-for-profit | 45 | 1 |
| Chapman University | Orange | Private not-for-profit | 37 | 1 |
| California State University - Northridge | Northridge | Public | 33 | 1 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego | Private not-for-profit | 28 | 1 |
What advertising and promotions managers earn in California
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $133,660. California pays above the national figure.
Concentrated here: California employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in California
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Advertising and Promotions Managers page.
How to become a Advertising
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- Less than 5 years
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in California
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 4 majors mapped to Advertising and Promotions Managers4 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 09.0900Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
- 09.0902Public Relations/Image Management
- 09.0903Advertising
- 52.1401Marketing/Marketing Management, General
Common questions
Answers for people weighing advertising and promotions managers programs in California.
What degree do you need to become an Advertising?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Marketing/Marketing Management, General, which awarded 729 degrees in California in 2024-25, 53.4% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Advertising?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 4 programs to this occupation. The largest are Marketing, Public Relations. Together they graduate about 1,364 people a year in California.
How much do advertising and promotions managers earn in California?+
The median is $167,230 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 25.1% above the U.S. median of $133,660. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for advertising and promotions managers growing?+
BLS projects a -2.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 2,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in California?+
36 institutions in California reported graduates from at least one of the 4 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do advertising and promotions managers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Promotions Manager, Promotions Director, Communications Manager, Advertising Manager (Ad Manager) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 11-2011.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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