Best Online Digital Marketing Master’s Programs

If you’re looking to advance your career or break into advertising, marketing, or promotions, a master’s degree in digital marketing can be a great option to get you there.

This degree can teach you a wide range of in-demand skills needed to succeed in the field, including digital marketing strategy, social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing, and web analytics.

Additionally, graduates with a master’s degree can qualify for more competitive roles and higher-paying jobs. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 86% of the class of 2023 marketing master’s program graduates are employed, with an average starting salary of $67,555.

In this guide, we’ll examine the best online digital marketing master’s programs, including their cost, program length, and application requirements.

According to the online master’s students and graduates surveyed in BestColleges’s 2024 Online Education Trends Report:

As you research and compare digital marketing master’s programs, consider how much they cost and how long they take to graduate. Also, consider their application requirements and the careers the program can prepare you for.

The average total cost for a master’s program is roughly $36,760 per year, according to 2019-2020 National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data. However, the price of a master’s program can vary significantly depending on factors such as institution and area of study.

According to 2019-2020 NCES data, the average tuition and fees for a master’s in business, management, and marketing program is $10,995 per year for online programs and $21,974 per year for in-person programs.

Financial aid can lower that price to $8,534 and $15,428 per year, respectively, so make sure to research and apply for institutional, state, and federal financial aid.

A master’s degree in digital marketing often requires between 30 and 60 credits, which usually takes students 2-3 years to complete.

You can earn your degree faster by enrolling in an accelerated master’s program. However, keep in mind that these programs condense classes into a shorter time frame, which means you’ll have an intense workload.

You can also consider taking additional classes in the summer or evenings to meet the required credit count faster.

To apply for master’s in digital marketing programs, you’ll often need:

With a master’s in digital marketing degree and hands-on experience, you can get a job as a chief marketing officer, marketing manager, advertising manager, or marketing research analyst.

Out of these, chief marketing officers and marketing managers have the highest earning potential. According to the BLS, chief executives — a category that includes chief marketing officers — and marketing managers earned median annual salaries of $206,420 and $161,030, respectively, as of May 2024.

Additionally, employment for chief executives and marketing managers is projected to grow by 5% and 8%, respectively, from 2023 to 2033, which is higher than the projected national average rate of 4% for the same time period, according to the BLS.

Getting a master’s degree in digital marketing can be worth it if you want a career in the field, as it can help you qualify for higher-paying, more competitive jobs.

According to the NACE, class of 2023 graduates with a master’s degree in marketing earned a higher average starting salary ($67,555) than those with a bachelor’s degree ($56,571). Additionally, a higher percentage of master’s in marketing graduates (76%) secured standard, full-time employment compared to bachelor’s in marketing graduates (64%).

When you compare the average cost of a master’s program in marketing — $10,995 per year for online programs, according to the NCES — to the NACE salary data, you can see earning a master’s degree can be worth it as it may lead to a positive return on investment.

Also, according to those surveyed in BestColleges’s 2024 Online Education Trends Report, students and graduates of online master’s programs have generally found their classes and programs to be valuable to their careers. Online programs can have more flexible schedules than in-person classes and will likely cut down students’ commutes, which can make them a good fit for working adult learners.

After you’ve earned your master’s degree in digital marketing, you can consider pursuing a doctorate in marketing. This can help prepare you to teach or conduct research at the university level.

However, according to the BLS, a bachelor’s degree in marketing is enough to qualify for many marketing jobs.