Best Marketing Manager programs in California, ranked by enrollment
Plan, direct, or coordinate marketing policies and programs, such as determining the demand for products and services offered by a firm and its competitors, and identify potential customers.
39 schools in California run programs that feed this job, graduating 962 people a year. The job pays a median of $193,620 in California across about 54,660 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.
6 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 | Marketing/Marketing Management, Generalmain feeder CIP 52.1401In California → | 729 | 75.8% | 18 | $44,670 | $24,250 |
| 2 | CIP 19.0905In California → | 180 | 18.7% | 19 | $36,635 | $24,750 |
| 3 | Marketing, Othermain feeder CIP 52.1499In California → | 33 | 3.4% | 2 | $44,670 | $24,250 |
| 4 | CIP 51.2011In California → | 13 | 1.4% | 1 | $48,728 | $23,761 |
| 5 | Digital Marketingmain feeder CIP 52.1404In California → | 6 | 0.6% | 2 | $44,670 | $24,250 |
| 6 | CIP 19.0203In California → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $40,949 | $23,344 |
Top 25 schools in California
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 8 of the 39 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 160 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $48,281 | 79% | $36,488 | 45% |
| 2 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 134 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $58,493 | 88% | $44,094 | 48% |
| 3 | 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% |
| 4 | University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 74 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $44,891 | 70% | $37,121 | 62% |
| 5 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 66 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 6 | California Baptist University Riverside, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 49 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $41,108 | 62% | $26,940 | 85% |
| 7 | Menlo College Atherton, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 45 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $49,788 | 54% | $26,655 | 68% |
| 8 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 35 | Apparel and Textile Marketing Management | — | 36% | — | — |
| 9 | California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 33 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $37,016 | 57% | — | 93% |
| 10 | Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 28 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 77% | $48,795 | 84% |
| 11 | Orange Coast College Costa Mesa, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 27 | Apparel and Textile Marketing Management | — | 48% | — | — |
| 12 | Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 20 | Apparel and Textile Marketing Management | $27,630 | 34% | $40,294 | — |
| 13 | Mt San Antonio College Walnut, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Apparel and Textile Marketing Management | — | 45% | — | — |
| 14 | Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 17 | Marketing, Other | — | 62% | $20,686 | 88% |
| 15 | The Master's University and Seminary Santa Clarita, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Marketing, Other | — | 68% | $30,641 | 84% |
| 16 | La Sierra University Riverside, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 60% | $26,504 | 91% |
| 17 | Palomar College San Marcos, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Apparel and Textile Marketing Management | — | 38% | — | — |
| 18 | Westcliff University Irvine, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 62% | $26,754 | 73% |
| 19 | Canada College Redwood City, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 9 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 47% | — | — |
| 20 | College of the Sequoias Visalia, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Apparel and Textile Marketing Management | — | 39% | — | — |
| 21 | San Diego Mesa College San Diego, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Apparel and Textile Marketing Management | — | 35% | — | — |
| 22 | Fresno Pacific University Fresno, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 50% | $14,298 | 64% |
| 23 | Los Angeles Trade Technical College Los Angeles, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Apparel and Textile Marketing Management | — | 35% | — | — |
| 24 | California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 70% | $23,129 | 76% |
| 25 | Long Beach City College Long Beach, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Apparel and Textile Marketing Management | — | 30% | — | — |
All 39 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Diego | San Diego | Private not-for-profit | 88 | 1 |
| University of San Francisco | San Francisco | Private not-for-profit | 74 | 1 |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 66 | 2 |
| California Baptist University | Riverside | Private not-for-profit | 49 | 1 |
| Menlo College | Atherton | Private not-for-profit | 45 | 1 |
| Santa Monica College | Santa Monica | Public | 35 | 1 |
| California State University - Northridge | Northridge | Public | 33 | 1 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego | Private not-for-profit | 28 | 1 |
| Orange Coast College | Costa Mesa | Public | 27 | 1 |
| Academy of Art University | San Francisco | Private for-profit | 20 | 2 |
| Mt San Antonio College | Walnut | Public | 18 | 1 |
| Azusa Pacific University | Azusa | Private not-for-profit | 17 | 2 |
| The Master's University and Seminary | Santa Clarita | Private not-for-profit | 17 | 1 |
What marketing managers earn in California
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $166,790. California pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
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 Marketing Managers page.
How to become a Marketing Manager
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- 5 years or more
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 9 majors mapped to Marketing Managers9 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 19.0203Consumer Merchandising/Retailing Management
- 19.0905Apparel and Textile Marketing Management
- 51.2011Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management
- 52.1401Marketing/Marketing Management, General
- 52.1402Marketing Research
- 52.1403International Marketing
- 52.1404Digital Marketing
- 52.1499Marketing, Other
- 52.1910Hospitality and Recreation Marketing Operations
Common questions
Answers for people weighing marketing managers programs in California.
What degree do you need to become a Marketing Manager?+
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, 75.8% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Marketing Manager?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 6 programs to this occupation. The largest are Marketing, Apparel and Textiles, Pharmacy, Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services. Together they graduate about 962 people a year in California.
How much do marketing managers earn in California?+
The median is $193,620 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 16.1% above the U.S. median of $166,790. 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 marketing managers growing?+
BLS projects a +6.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 34,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in California?+
39 institutions in California reported graduates from at least one of the 6 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 marketing managers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Brand Manager, Marketing Manager, Marketing Director, Business Development Manager among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 11-2021.
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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