What can you do with a Marketing degree from James Madison University?

First, some facts. Of the Marketing graduates from James Madison 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 24 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Below average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 59%, Marketing graduates from James Madison University have a lower likelihood (-8%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

Average score: 59%
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 12% 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 James Madison University and our analysis:


Relevance score: 86%

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

DEGREE INFO

Graduated in 2010 from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. No other secondary education since.

JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION
Regional Account Manager
Cogent Communications
Jun 2010 - Feb 2011
As a Regional Account Manager, the position may utilize some business-related skills from the marketing degree, but it is more focused on account management rather than specific marketing qualifications.

Associate, Strategic Partnerships
SmartBrief
Aug 2011 - Aug 2014
The Associate role in Strategic Partnerships likely involves some marketing principles, but primarily revolves around relationship management and networking, which are not core focuses of a marketing degree.

Account Director, Higher Education
SmartBrief
Aug 2014 - Dec 2016
The Account Director role in Higher Education directly utilizes marketing knowledge to manage accounts and strategies for educational clients, making it highly relevant to the marketing degree.

Associate Publisher, Higher Education
SmartBrief
Jan 2017 - Feb 2020
As an Associate Publisher for Higher Education, this job requires significant marketing knowledge and skills to effectively promote educational products and services, aligning closely with the degree.

Publisher, Higher Education & Nonprofit
SmartBrief
Feb 2020 - Present
The Publisher position similarly demands extensive marketing expertise in promoting and selling educational and nonprofit content, which is directly related to the degree in marketing.

Vice President of Sales, Education & Nonprofit
SmartBrief
Jun 2024 - Present
The Vice President of Sales for Education & Nonprofit requires strong marketing and strategic skills to oversee sales operations, making it a direct application of the marketing degree.

ABOUT

Specialties: digital advertising, lead generation, customer service, marketing, marketing communications, sales

What jobs can you get with a Marketing degree from James Madison University?

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


Looking at the careers of graduates from James Madison University's Marketing program, it's clear that there are a mixed bag of job roles that vary quite a bit in their relevance to marketing. Many graduates have found themselves in positions like account managers, project managers, and various roles in sales and business analysis. While some of these jobs do involve marketing elements, such as customer communication or promotional activities, others seem to stray far from the core marketing principles learned in school. For example, many positions in recruitment or project management don’t really capitalize on the marketing-specific skills like digital marketing strategies or market analysis.

On the flip side, there are also several graduates who dove straight into jobs that are right on the money for what marketing is all about. Roles like Digital Marketing Manager, SEO Manager, and PPC Account Manager are perfect examples where graduates can fully express the knowledge and skills they've obtained through their degree. These more specialized positions not only align directly with marketing but also highlight the creativity and strategic thinking that's fundamental in this field. Overall, while many careers taken up by JMU marketing graduates may not fully utilize their degree, there are definitely noteworthy examples where alumni are making the most of their education in actual marketing-focused roles.

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 James Madison University):

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

When you look at the career trajectories of graduates from James Madison University who studied marketing, you can see a pretty clear pattern. For many, their first jobs right out of college tend to be either in account management or project management roles, often working for companies in marketing, health care, or education. These entry-level positions give them the chance to build hands-on experience, which seems to lead them toward more senior roles in the same field as time goes on. A solid number of graduates have moved up to management or leadership positions within companies, particularly in marketing and strategy-focused roles, indicating that a marketing degree from JMU can really set you up for success in related careers.

Fast forward five to ten years, and you see many of these alumni advancing significantly in their careers. Graduates who started in roles like account managers or marketing coordinators often find themselves in higher positions, such as digital marketing managers or program managers. Some even achieve executive-level roles! However, there are a few graduates who ventured off into other fields, like teaching or roles that don’t directly relate to marketing, which is not uncommon in any area of study. Overall, it looks like most JMU marketing grads are carving out solid careers in marketing and related domains, which is promising for anyone considering a path in this field.

How hard is a Marketing degree from James Madison University?

Honestly, a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing at James Madison University can be pretty manageable if you're motivated and organized. It’s not the easiest degree out there, but it’s also not on the super tough side compared to some other majors like engineering or the hard sciences. You’ll dive into a mix of creative and analytical courses, which can make things interesting, but if you enjoy working on projects and collaborating with others, you might find it more enjoyable than challenging. Plus, like any degree, it really depends on your personal strengths and interests—if you love coming up with ideas and understanding consumer behavior, you might find it’s right up your alley!

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 James Madison University tend to make good money?

So, if we take a look at these Marketing grads from James Madison University, it seems like some of them are doing pretty well financially, while others might still be finding their footing. For instance, the ones who graduated around 2010 to 2014 have climbed the ladder to higher roles with titles like Publisher or Vice President, which usually comes with a decent paycheck. On the flip side, newer grads, especially those from 2022 and 2023, are often still juggling internships and entry-level jobs, which probably means they’re not making as much yet. Overall, it looks like if you stick with it and gain experience, you could end up earning a good salary, but you might need to hustle a bit in the beginning!

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 James Madison 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