What can you do with a Marketing degree from Ball State University?

First, some facts. Of the Marketing graduates from Ball State University we've analyzed , here's how many have used (or NOT used) their degree in their career:


These are estimates based on AI analysis of 17 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Below average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 60%, Marketing graduates from Ball State University have a lower likelihood (-7%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

Average score: 60%
Average relevance score across all fields: 67%

And for comparison, here's the chart for all profiles we've looked at across all degrees.

× Chart

Also, after graduating, only 23% of these graduates have pursued further education other than another Bachelor's degree (such as a Masters degree or other), compared to the average across all profiles of 35%. This suggests a Bachelors degree is enough for most Marketing graduates, and it's normal to look for work straight after graduation.

See the details:

View a random Marketing graduate from Ball State University and our analysis:


Relevance score: 60%

We think this person has gone into a career only somewhat relevant to their degree.

DEGREE INFO

Graduated in 2019 from Ball State University with a Bachelors Degree in Marketing. No other secondary education since.

JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION
Server
FoxGardin Family Kitchen
Aug 2019 - Jun 2022
The position of server at FoxGardin Family Kitchen does not require any marketing-specific skills or knowledge, making it unrelated to the Bachelor's degree in Marketing.

Account Manager
Drew Federau - State Farm Insurance Agent
Mar 2020 - Jun 2022
As an Account Manager at Drew Federau - State Farm Insurance Agent, this job directly utilizes marketing skills such as customer relationship management and understanding market needs, which are core aspects of the Bachelor's degree in Marketing.

Customer Success Manager
V Digital Services
Jun 2022 - Present
The role of Customer Success Manager at V Digital Services requires the application of marketing strategies to ensure client satisfaction and retention, aligning closely with the knowledge acquired during the Bachelor's program in Marketing.

ABOUT

No information provided.

What jobs can you get with a Marketing degree from Ball State University?

The top 10 most common jobs done by the graduates we've analyzed (ranked most common to least) are:


Based on the job titles and descriptions of those who graduated with a Marketing degree from Ball State University, it seems like many of them have ventured into sales and customer-facing roles. Common positions include Inside Sales, District Sales Manager, and Account Manager. While some of these jobs do incorporate elements of marketing—like understanding customer needs or promoting products—many roles don’t deeply engage with core marketing concepts such as market research or campaign management. Instead, they often lean more toward sales strategies and customer service, which, while related, don’t fully utilize the marketing skills learned in school.

Overall, a significant number of these graduates end up in positions that have some relevance to their marketing education, especially in sales and brand management roles, but not all are directly tied to marketing. Jobs like Administrative Assistant or Claims Resolution Representative show that there are also many who took paths that diverged from marketing-specific roles, focusing instead on operational or managerial tasks that lack a direct connection to the principles they learned. So, while a marketing degree opens some doors, the reality is that many graduates find themselves in roles where they aren’t strictly applying their expertise in marketing methodologies or strategies.

Here is a visual representation of the most common words in job titles for Marketing graduates (this is across all Marketing graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Ball State University):

What kind of career trajectories do Marketing graduates from Ball State University have? What do they do 1, 5 or 10 years out?

Looking at the career trajectories of graduates from Ball State University with a Marketing degree, it seems that their paths vary quite a bit. Many graduates start off in sales or entry-level positions right after graduation, like sales agents or coordinators. Jobs like inside sales and marketing coordination appear to be popular stepping stones. For instance, graduates from 2010 to 2018 have taken their first jobs in sales or marketing support roles, which makes sense since these positions allow them to gain hands-on experience in the marketing realm and build a foundation for future growth. However, there are also graduates who took positions that seem less aligned with marketing, like roles in security or the military, indicating that some may explore varied paths after college.

As for the long-term picture, about five to ten years down the line, it looks like many of these graduates start to secure more senior roles, often moving into management or specialized positions like District Sales Managers or Executive Assistants. Some stick closely to marketing, transitioning into roles like Marketing Manager or Brand Manager, while others drift away from marketing altogether into fields like logistics or insurance management. While there are several promising paths in marketing, not every graduate lands in a role that's directly related to their degree, which highlights the unpredictable nature of career paths post-college. Overall, while many graduates do find success in relevant marketing careers, there's also a portion that opts for more generalist roles or completely different fields altogether.

How hard is a Marketing degree from Ball State University?

Honestly, a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing at Ball State University—or really, anywhere—is kind of a mixed bag in terms of difficulty. It’s not the easiest degree out there, but it’s also not the hardest. You’ll get into some cool stuff like consumer behavior, digital marketing, and market research, which can be interesting and fun. Some classes might be a little challenging, especially if you’re not super into numbers or data analysis, but if you stay organized and manage your time well, you should be fine. Overall, it’s a pretty manageable path as long as you keep up with your work and engage in your classes. Plus, there are usually plenty of resources and support to help you out along the way!

How long does it take?

Most commonly, in the LinkedIn profiles we've looked at, it takes people 4 years to finish a Bachelor degree in Marketing.

Do Marketing graduates from Ball State University tend to make good money?

Looking at the career paths of these Ball State graduates, it seems like there's a pretty mixed bag when it comes to income potential. Some have landed solid roles in sales and management, especially those in insurance and logistics, which usually pay well over time. Others are still in lower-paying positions or have spent time as homemakers, which definitely reflects lower income levels. For example, the graduates from 2017 who have worked at a company like Hershey or in management at GEICO are likely making decent salaries, while those in service roles like serving at a restaurant or working as a sales assistant might be earning a bit less. Overall, it looks like many of them are on the right track but may need a few more years or a few promotions to really start seeing that dollar sign in a big way.

What buzzwords do Marketing graduates use to describe themselves?

Here is a visual representation of the most common words seen in the "about" section of LinkedIn profiles who have a Bachelor degree in Marketing (this is across all Marketing graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Ball State University). This may or may not be useful:

What are the best colleges for Marketing?

Here are all colleges offering a Bachelor degree in Marketing (ordered by the average relevance score of their Marketing graduates, best to worst) where we have analyzed at least 10 of their graduates:

College Score Count
Gonzaga University 84 10
University of Maryland - Robert H. Smith School of Business 81 13
Florida International University - College of Business 78 12
University of Wisconsin-Madison 76 17
University of Florida 75 18
University of Arizona 75 11
Portland State University 75 13
California State University, Long Beach 75 14
Bowling Green State University 74 13
LIM College 74 14
Michigan State University 73 11
Rider University 73 16
University of Colorado Boulder 72 15
Minnesota State University, Mankato 72 16
Bentley University 72 21
The Ohio State University 71 17
Fairfield University 71 11
John Carroll University 71 10
Florida State University 70 44
University of Kentucky 70 18
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 70 16
Davenport University 70 17
The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business 70 29
Brigham Young University - Idaho 69 11
The University of Georgia 69 14
University of Delaware 69 17
Iowa State University - Ivy College of Business 69 10
Iowa State University 68 10
University of Louisiana at Lafayette 68 14
University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Management 68 15
Colorado State University 67 17
Grand Valley State University 67 30
Georgia State University 67 29
Kean University 67 15
Loyola Marymount University 67 19
Lindenwood University 67 11
California State University, Fullerton 66 26
University of Iowa 66 15
Old Dominion University 66 12
University of Nevada-Las Vegas 66 16
Indiana Wesleyan University 66 10
Loyola University Maryland 66 15
Arizona State University - W. P. Carey School of Business 66 14
Texas Tech University - Rawls College of Business 66 12
Georgia State University - J. Mack Robinson College of Business 66 14
Penn State University 65 50
Florida International University 65 24
Southern New Hampshire University 65 28
Auburn University 65 14
Oregon State University 65 12
The University of Texas at San Antonio 65 34
The University of Alabama 65 31
Virginia Tech 65 12
Utah Valley University 65 11
Eastern Michigan University 65 19
California State University, Chico 65 10
Seton Hall University 65 10
University of Houston 64 13
San Diego State University 64 32
Virginia Commonwealth University 64 15
University of North Carolina at Greensboro 64 16
Florida Gulf Coast University 64 10
University of Central Missouri 64 12
University of Utah - David Eccles School of Business 64 12
East Carolina University 63 17
California State University, Northridge 63 27
University of Arkansas 63 33
Appalachian State University 63 14
College of Charleston 63 15
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire 63 16
University of Dayton 63 15
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania 63 15
University of Cincinnati College of Business 63 11
University of South Florida 62 62
University of Nebraska-Lincoln 62 20
Boise State University 62 16
North Dakota State University 62 14
University of Nevada, Reno 62 13
The University of Southern Mississippi 62 14
Providence College 62 13
University of Central Florida 61 67
Texas A&M University 61 40
Louisiana State University 61 29
Miami University 61 28
University of Illinois at Chicago 61 11
San Diego State University-California State University 61 18
University of Louisville 61 23
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay 61 14
Western Governors University 60 38
Kent State University 60 21
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona 60 23
Central Michigan University 60 14
Florida Atlantic University 60 25
Ball State University 60 17
Montclair State University 60 13
California State University-Fullerton 60 12
University of North Carolina at Wilmington 60 10
Wichita State University 60 11
Salisbury University 60 11
Monmouth University 60 12
Columbus State University 60 10
Siena College 60 17
James Madison University 59 24
University of Pittsburgh 59 16
University of North Carolina at Charlotte 59 24
Kennesaw State University 59 22
Georgia Southern University 59 20
DePaul University 59 17
Northern Illinois University 59 23
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 59 46
Columbia College Chicago 59 12
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 59 21
Quinnipiac University 59 16
Southeastern Louisiana University 59 10
University of Montana 59 11
University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business 59 14
Texas State University 58 33
Illinois State University 58 19
West Virginia University 58 23
Rowan University 58 16
West Chester University of Pennsylvania 58 19
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 58 15
Eastern Illinois University 58 13
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi 58 15
University of Houston, C.T. Bauer College of Business 58 11
University of North Texas 57 44
The University of Texas at Arlington 57 12
University of Oklahoma 57 12
Baylor University 57 12
University of Tennessee, Knoxville 57 11
California State University, Fresno 57 16
The University of Akron 57 17
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania 57 10
Cleveland State University 57 14
Hofstra University 57 15
University of San Diego 57 12
University of Georgia - Terry College of Business 57 26
Roger Williams University 57 11
Pace University - Lubin School of Business 57 10
University of Missouri-Columbia 56 28
Missouri State University 56 16
Baruch College 56 25
University of San Francisco 56 11
University of St. Thomas 56 16
Sacred Heart University 56 15
Jacksonville State University 56 10
University of Phoenix 55 29
San Jose State University 55 30
Towson University 55 25
Western Washington University 55 15
Stephen F. Austin State University 55 12
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh 55 10
Temple University - Fox School of Business and Management 55 12
Liberty University 54 10
San Francisco State University 54 33
Texas Tech University 54 17
Wright State University 54 14
Indiana University - Kelley School of Business 54 17
Bryant University 54 16
University of Washington 53 10
Indiana University Bloomington 53 16
Grand Canyon University 53 18
University of Cincinnati 53 23
Clemson University 53 29
University of North Florida 53 17
California State University San Marcos 53 13
University of Central Oklahoma 53 10
State University of New York College at Oswego 53 10
Ohio University 52 15
Kansas State University 52 28
Mississippi State University 52 21
Loyola University Chicago 52 10
Coastal Carolina University 52 25
Sonoma State University 52 11
Temple University 51 20
Oklahoma State University 51 40
Western Michigan University 51 11
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 51 17
Northern Kentucky University 51 16
The College of New Jersey 51 17
University of North Georgia 51 11
Northwood University 51 14
Florida State University - College of Business 51 16
California State University-Long Beach 50 12
Johnson & Wales University 50 11
University of West Georgia 50 16
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 50 21
Kennesaw State University - Michael J. Coles College of Business 50 12
California State University-Northridge 49 19
University of Alabama 49 15
University of Tampa 49 15
University of Northern Colorado 49 11
University of Denver 49 10
Georgia Gwinnett College 48 11
Washington State University 47 15
The University of Texas at Dallas 47 17
Sam Houston State University 47 13
Oakland University 47 20
Radford University 47 13
Saint Joseph's University 47 14
Louisiana Tech University 46 12
Indiana University of Pennsylvania 45 17
Suffolk University 45 12
Fox School of Business at Temple University 45 14
University of Mississippi 44 18
East Tennessee State University 44 17
California State University-San Bernardino 43 10
California State University-Los Angeles 43 11
St. Cloud State University 43 12
The University of Memphis 42 10
Tarleton State University 41 13
University of South Alabama 38 10
Metropolitan State University of Denver 37 12
New Mexico State University 33 11
Abilene Christian University 29 11