Best Marketing Manager programs in Illinois, 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.
53 schools in Illinois run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,877 people a year. The job pays a median of $162,860 in Illinois across about 21,140 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Illinois that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
4 programs in Illinois that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Illinois (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 Illinois page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marketing/Marketing Management, Generalmain feeder CIP 52.1401In Illinois → | 1,654 | 88.1% | 48 | $44,670 | $24,250 |
| 2 | Digital Marketingmain feeder CIP 52.1404In Illinois → | 123 | 6.6% | 6 | $44,670 | $24,250 |
| 3 | Marketing, Othermain feeder CIP 52.1499In Illinois → | 91 | 4.8% | 4 | $44,670 | $24,250 |
| 4 | Marketing Researchmain feeder CIP 52.1402In Illinois → | 9 | 0.5% | 1 | $44,670 | $24,250 |
Top 25 schools in Illinois
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 22 of the 53 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois State University Normal, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 265 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $51,687 | 65% | — | 88% |
| 2 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 219 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $42,782 | 62% | — | 77% |
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · 2 feeder programs | 210 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $69,273 | 85% | — | 42% |
| 4 | DePaul University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 205 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $50,012 | 68% | $28,141 | 76% |
| 5 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 138 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $51,065 | 73% | $33,454 | 82% |
| 6 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL Public · 2 feeder programs | 108 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $51,137 | 49% | — | 70% |
| 7 | Aurora University Aurora, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 66 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $39,482 | 60% | $18,431 | 81% |
| 8 | Southern Illinois University - Carbondale Carbondale, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 41 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $40,244 | 62% | — | 87% |
| 9 | Midwestern Career College Chicago, IL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 40 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 54% | $12,455 | — |
| 10 | Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 39 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $43,320 | 22% | — | 75% |
| 11 | Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 38 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $36,386 | 52% | $28,087 | 89% |
| 12 | Saint Xavier University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 35 | Marketing, Other | $43,892 | 57% | $12,935 | 84% |
| 13 | College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL Public · 2 feeder programs | 32 | Digital Marketing | — | 25% | — | — |
| 14 | North Central College Naperville, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 32 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $45,464 | 64% | $20,052 | 77% |
| 15 | Augustana College Rock Island, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 28 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 73% | $14,960 | 63% |
| 16 | Bradley University Peoria, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 26 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $48,663 | 76% | $21,768 | 77% |
| 17 | Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $40,074 | 70% | $20,794 | 74% |
| 18 | Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $40,829 | 61% | $20,903 | 56% |
| 19 | McKendree University Lebanon, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 22 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $34,872 | 53% | $23,994 | 72% |
| 20 | McHenry County College Crystal Lake, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 21 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 37% | — | — |
| 21 | Lewis University Romeoville, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 20 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $43,196 | 67% | $17,632 | 71% |
| 22 | Western Illinois University Macomb, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $39,977 | 45% | — | 71% |
| 23 | Roosevelt University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $42,720 | 35% | $21,085 | 97% |
| 24 | Dominican University River Forest, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 55% | $16,176 | 90% |
| 25 | Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $46,844 | 47% | — | 65% |
All 53 schools in Illinois
Every school in Illinois 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois State University | Normal | Public | 265 | 1 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago | Public | 219 | 1 |
| University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign | Champaign | Public | 210 | 2 |
| DePaul University | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 205 | 1 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 138 | 2 |
| Northern Illinois University | Dekalb | Public | 108 | 2 |
| Aurora University | Aurora | Private not-for-profit | 66 | 2 |
| Southern Illinois University - Carbondale | Carbondale | Public | 41 | 1 |
| Midwestern Career College | Chicago | Private for-profit | 40 | 1 |
| Northeastern Illinois University | Chicago | Public | 39 | 1 |
| Columbia College Chicago | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 38 | 1 |
| Saint Xavier University | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 35 | 2 |
| College of DuPage | Glen Ellyn | Public | 32 | 2 |
| North Central College | Naperville | Private not-for-profit | 32 | 1 |
| Augustana College | Rock Island | Private not-for-profit | 28 | 1 |
What marketing managers earn in Illinois
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $166,790. Illinois pays below the national figure.
Concentrated here: Illinois employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Illinois
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 Illinois
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 Illinois.
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 1,654 degrees in Illinois in 2024-25, 88.1% 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 4 programs to this occupation. The largest are Marketing. Together they graduate about 1,877 people a year in Illinois.
How much do marketing managers earn in Illinois?+
The median is $162,860 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 2.4% below 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 Illinois?+
53 institutions in Illinois 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 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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