The Best Bachelor's in Marketing Programs for 2027

University of Maryland-College Park's Marketing major, housed in the Robert H. Smith School of Business, is built as an 18-credit junior-senior curriculum: three required courses, Consumer Analysis, Marketing Research Methods, and Marketing Policies and Strategies, plus three electives chosen from a list of nine that includes Digital Marketing, Global Marketing, Sales Management, Integrated Marketing Communications, Retail Management, and a Marketing Internship. The catalog frames the major around satisfying every stakeholder in a firm, employees, dealers, stockholders, and customers, through pricing, promotion, product, and distribution strategy. The same major is also offered at the Universities at Shady Grove campus in Montgomery County.

Maryland's Program Score of 97.8 matches FSU, built on an 89% graduation rate and a 45% admit rate, the same admissions bar as Wisconsin and the widest door of the four schools here. Tuition runs $10,087 in-state and $39,464 out-of-state, a $29,377 gap, putting Maryland's total cost close to Wisconsin's rather than FSU's or UF's. It suits a student who wants to pick their own elective mix, three of nine options, rather than follow a fixed track, and who values a second campus location over the lowest possible price tag.

University of Texas at Austin's BBA in Marketing is built around a compact but prerequisite-gated core: Marketing 360, then Marketing 370, which is reserved for students who have completed 90 semester hours, taken Marketing 360, and already logged (or registered for) an approved experiential-learning course. Beyond that core, majors add 12 semester hours of upper-division marketing coursework, or International Business 350, and can apply the Marketing 366P practicum toward either a marketing elective or the BBA's experiential-learning requirement, though not both. The full degree runs to at least 120 semester hours.

The selectivity backs up the rigor: an 89% graduation rate against a 27% admit rate means UT Austin turns away roughly three of every four applicants and still graduates nearly nine in ten who enroll. Texas residents pay $11,688 a year; out-of-state students pay $44,908, a $33,220 annual gap that adds up to roughly $133,000 over four years. On a campus of 53,864 students, the marketing major earns a Program Score of 97.8, good for 5th in this ranking. Nationally, advertising, promotions, and marketing managers earn a median $125,470 a year, per BLS data; that figure applies across every school on this list, not a UT-specific outcome.

Terry College of Business runs its marketing major around two formal, transcript-recognized areas of emphasis. Professional Selling requires MARK 4210, MARK 4220 or MARK 4350, MARK 4230, an internship or verified sales experience, and participation in the Terry Sales Competition. Digital Marketing requires MARK 4450, MARK 4600, MARK 4650, an internship or MARK 4670, plus the department's digital marketing speaker series and spring competition. Students outside either track still cover consumer behavior, marketing research, marketing strategy, sales management, marketing analytics, digital marketing, social media, and international marketing as core topics, and the department lists graduates placed at Coca-Cola, State Farm, Georgia-Pacific, and Morgan Stanley.

University of Georgia posts a 90% graduation rate, the best of the four schools profiled here, against a 38% admit rate that makes it the most accessible of this group without being unselective. In-state tuition is $10,034; out-of-state runs $30,272, a $20,238 annual premium for nonresidents. That combination, on a campus of 43,146 students, drives a Program Score of 97.4, ranking 6th nationally. Nationally, advertising, promotions, and marketing managers earn a median $125,470 a year per BLS data, a baseline that holds across every school here, not a UGA-specific figure.

At University of Pennsylvania's Wharton, marketing is a concentration within the broader BS in Economics degree rather than a standalone major. Students start with Consumer Behavior (MKTG 2110) and a data-and-analysis requirement met through courses like MKTG 2120 or MKTG 4710, then choose two more electives from a list spanning Analytics and AI in Digital Marketing and Social Media, Marketing Analytics, Strategic Brand Management, and Pricing Strategies. The page describes students applying these concepts through half-semester mini-courses in areas like new product development, advertising, and retailing, with graduates moving into brand management, advertising, sales, marketing research, consulting, and entrepreneurial ventures. The concentration sits inside Wharton's full 37 course-unit curriculum, which layers on business fundamentals, a foreign-language requirement, cross-cultural coursework, and a senior capstone.

The selectivity is extreme: a 5% admit rate is the tightest of any school in this set, and the 97% graduation rate is the highest. Tuition is flat at $60,920 regardless of residency, since Penn is private, so there is no in-state discount to plan around the way there is at Texas, Georgia, or Illinois. On an undergraduate population of 29,109, the concentration earns a Program Score of 96.7, ranking 7th. Nationally, advertising, promotions, and marketing managers earn a median $125,470 a year per BLS data, the same figure that applies to every school on this list.

Gies College of Business builds its BS in Marketing around three required major courses, Marketing Research (BADM 322), Consumer Behavior (BADM 325), and Advanced Marketing Management (BADM 420), on top of the college's core Principles of Marketing course (BADM 320). Majors then pick six electives from roughly 17 options, including Digital Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Social Media Strategy, Brand Management, Pricing Analytics, New Product Development, Advanced Sales Strategies, and International Marketing. The degree requires 124 total hours with a minimum of 40 upper-division, and the program is listed as available online in addition to on the Urbana-Champaign campus.

Illinois posts an 85% graduation rate and a 42% admit rate, the most open of the four schools profiled here, on a campus of 59,238 students. In-state tuition is $14,975; out-of-state tuition is $36,804, a $21,829 annual gap for nonresidents. That mix produces a Program Score of 96.6, ranking 8th nationally. Nationally, advertising, promotions, and marketing managers earn a median $125,470 a year per BLS data, a baseline shared across every school here, not an Illinois-specific outcome.

The University of Washington houses its marketing major inside the Foster School of Business, under the Business Administration department. The core sequence runs through Marketing Concepts (MKTG 301) or the applied Essentials of Marketing and Sales (MKTG 305), then opens into a long list of upper-division electives: Digital Marketing Analytics (MKTG 466), Customer Analytics (MKTG 462), Consumer Marketing and Brand Strategy (MKTG 452), Advertising (MKTG 456), International Marketing (MKTG 470), and a credit/no-credit Marketing Internship (MKTG 495). Students can also branch into Retailing (MKTG 370), Business to Business Marketing (MKTG 411), or Sales Force Management (MKTG 430), giving the major more specialization tracks than most bachelor's programs in this set.

UW's Program Score of 96.6 ranks it 9th nationally in this group, built on an 85% graduation rate and a 39% admit rate, moderately selective for a public flagship enrolling nearly 57,000 students. The tuition split is the real decision point: Washington residents pay $11,869 a year, while out-of-state students pay $42,105, a $30,236 gap. For a Washington resident, that makes UW one of the cheapest routes in this group to a marketing degree backed by a deep analytics elective bench; for an out-of-state applicant, the math changes and the degree costs closer to what the private schools on this list charge.

Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business builds its marketing major around three required courses: Marketing Intelligence, Consumer Behavior, and Marketing Strategy Analytics. Students then add 6 credits of electives, at least half of which must come from a "Competence Electives" tier covering Branding, Integrated Marketing Communications, and Marketing Across Borders. Beyond that, the bulletin lists smaller, more specialized 1.5-credit electives: Luxury Marketing, Global Retail Marketing, Sports Marketing Strategy, and Social and Digital Media Marketing, along with cross-listed options like Management Consulting and Digital Technologies & Analytics.

Georgetown's Program Score of 95.8 ranks it 10th in this group, driven by a 95% graduation rate, the highest of these four schools, against a 13% admit rate, the second-most selective. As a private university, tuition doesn't split by residency: every student pays $67,896 a year regardless of home state. That flat price buys a compact, curated marketing curriculum rather than a sprawling course catalog; students who want the widest elective menu should compare it against a bigger program, but students who want a small set of required, market-tested courses inside a highly selective cohort will find that structure here.

Washington University in St. Louis structures its marketing BSBA around 12 total units. A 3-unit Marketing Core, Marketing Research, anchors the major, followed by 9 units of electives split into two groups. Group A, where students must take at least 6 units, includes Consumer Behavior, Digital Marketing and Analytics, Pricing Strategies, Marketing Strategy, and Brand Management. Group B fills out the remaining units with more specialized options: Sports Marketing, International Marketing, Advertising and Promotions, Inclusive Marketing, and a 1.5-unit Growth Marketing Practicum.

WashU's Program Score of 95.8 places it 11th in this group, backed by a 94% graduation rate against a 12% admit rate, the tightest gate of the four programs here. Tuition is flat at $64,500 a year for every student, since the school does not distinguish in-state from out-of-state pricing. Unlike the other three programs in this set, this listing also carries an online-accessible flag, giving admitted students a remote-study option alongside the standard on-campus BSBA track.

Purdue University's marketing major sits inside the Daniels School of Business as a four-year Bachelor of Science built around brand management, digital marketing, market research, advertising, and sales strategy. The program description emphasizes case-based classes that build communication, teamwork, and analytical research skills, with students learning to conduct market research, analyze consumer behavior, and develop new products or services. Applicants apply directly into a "marketing (pre) major," and transfer students need a minimum 3.5 GPA plus a grade of B or better in a college-level calculus course.

Purdue's Program Score of 95.8 ranks it 12th in this group. Its 50% admit rate is the most accessible of the four programs here, though its 83% graduation rate is the lowest. Cost is where Purdue separates itself: $9,718 a year in-state, the lowest tuition in this set, versus $28,520 out-of-state, an $18,802 gap. The school itself reports an average starting salary of $59,175 for the major and cites a #21 U.S. News & World Report ranking (2024) for its undergraduate business programs.

Tulane's marketing major sits inside the Bachelor of Science in Management, which requires at least 124 credit hours and a 2.000 grade point average, including 30 credit hours of the Newcomb-Tulane College Core Curriculum. The major trains students to analyze marketing problems from an evidence-based perspective, with courses in marketing research and analytics, consumer behavior and marketing strategy. The business core covers financial and managerial accounting, financial management, business analytics, strategic management and a BSM Capstone. Marketing students take Research and Analytics, then choose between Advanced Marketing Strategy and Sales Management, between Consumer Behavior and Social and Online Marketing, and three further electives. Options include Brand Management, Pricing, New Product Development, Global Marketing and Sports Marketing. Students can specialize in areas such as brand management, analytics or sales.

Tulane graduates 86% of its students and admits 14% of applicants. Listed tuition is $64,372 for in-state and out-of-state students alike, since it is a private university. The program carries a Program Score of 95.6 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking here. It fits students who want a quantitative, research-driven approach to marketing within a selective private university, and who are ready for a capstone and a full business core alongside the major.

Marketing at Boston College is a concentration within the Carroll School of Management's bachelor's program. Marketing Principles is the prerequisite for every other marketing course, and students then take four courses for the concentration. Two are required: Customer Research and Insights for Marketing Decisions, and Applied Marketing Management, which is typically taken in senior year and requires the research course first. The other two come from electives that include Consumer Behavior, Strategic Pricing and Marketing, and Services Marketing. The page describes a mix of theory and skill-based work, with qualitative and quantitative approaches to customer insight, and projects such as new product launches, pricing and distribution strategies and internet marketing campaigns. Only one course from an international university can count toward the concentration.

Boston College graduates 91% of its students and admits 16% of applicants. Tuition is $69,400 for both in-state and out-of-state students. The Program Score is 95.6 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want a research-driven marketing foundation inside a broader business degree, with room to pair it with other Carroll School concentrations.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Marketing Management major, taught in the Pamplin College of Business, trains students in consumer insights, analytics, branding, digital engagement, strategy and research so they can design and communicate marketing solutions across channels. The Bachelor of Science is the undergraduate path, and the university also lists Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees under the same area. The major is open to first-year applicants and to fall, spring and summer transfer applicants, though enrollment is restricted by available space. Related programs the university highlights include public relations, communication, graphic design, consumer studies and packaging systems and design. The program is in person at the Blacksburg campus.

Federal data put the graduation rate at 86% and the admit rate at 55%. In-state tuition is $13,152 and out-of-state tuition is $34,362. The program earns a Program Score of 95.6 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It fits students drawn to the analytical and creative sides of marketing, such as brand work, social media or sports and entertainment marketing, who want a large research university and accept that a seat in the major depends on available space.

The University of Notre Dame offers a BBA in marketing through the Mendoza College of Business. The major totals 21 hours: Consumer and Organizational Buyer Behavior, Marketing Research and five marketing electives, after all Mendoza students take Foundations of Marketing in their first two years. Students may informally pursue one of three tracks: Brand Management, Marketing Analytics, or Digital Marketing, each built from at least three elective courses, and they are free to combine electives across tracks. The catalog says the major prepares graduates for public and private business organizations and for nonprofits such as educational or art institutions and hospitals. Double majors are possible with Accountancy, Finance or Strategic Management.

Federal data show a 95% graduation rate and an 11% admit rate at Notre Dame, so admission is highly selective. Tuition is $64,518 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. The program earns a Program Score of 95.3 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want to shape their own mix of brand, analytics and digital coursework, or add a second business major.

Villanova University's marketing major, housed in the Villanova School of Business, covers human behavior, market research, strategy and creative expression. Students learn to access real-time information, analyze data, solve problems and communicate results, and to manage product pricing, promotion and distribution for consumer and business-to-business offerings. To earn the major, students complete the core and business curriculum with two required marketing courses plus four marketing electives. They can add a concentration in Digital Marketing or Business Development. A marketing minor requires three marketing courses, including either Marketing Research or Buyer Behavior. The school also notes that many business professionals rotate through marketing roles at some point in their careers.

The Program Score of 95.2 out of 100 is the basis of this program's ranking. Villanova graduates 92% of its students and admits 27% of applicants. Tuition is $66,838 for both in-state and out-of-state students, since the school is private. The major fits students who want a business-school marketing degree with a clear digital or sales-oriented specialization and who can afford a selective private university.

The marketing major at the University of Connecticut School of Business is taught on the Storrs campus, with a related Marketing Management major offered in Hartford and Stamford. The school describes the curriculum as an integration of experiential learning and academic research, with case discussions, marketing plans, in-class exercises and company projects. Students at Storrs can add one of three concentrations: Digital Marketing & Analytics, Professional Sales Leadership, or Social Responsibility and Impact in Business. Minors are available in the same areas, internships can be taken for credit, and an accelerated 30-credit MS lets eligible undergraduates count up to 12 credits toward both degrees and finish the master's within twelve months of graduating.

UConn graduates 83% of its students and admits 52% of applicants. In-state tuition is $17,010 a year against $39,678 for out-of-state students, so residency changes the cost considerably. The program's Program Score is 94.6 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. The major suits students who want a research-grounded marketing education with room to specialize in digital work, sales or socially responsible business, and Connecticut residents get the strongest price advantage.

Lehigh University offers an undergraduate marketing major and a marketing minor through its College of Business. Students can earn a B.S. in Business and Economics with a major in marketing, or a B.S. in Integrated Business and Engineering with a marketing major. The page describes a curriculum that ties theory to practice and stresses teamwork, leadership and communication. Course activities include developing integrated marketing communications campaigns, designing and carrying out marketing research projects, conducting customer analyses and taking part in product development simulations, with corporate internships available for further practice. The program lists alumni in advertising, consulting, distribution, brand marketing, analytics and marketing research, media planning, new product development, sales management, social media, public relations, purchasing and retailing.

Federal data shows an 88% graduation rate at Lehigh and a 26% admit rate. In-state tuition is $63,930, the same as the out-of-state figure, since the school is private. The Program Score of 94.6 out of 100 is the basis of its ranking. The major fits students who want hands-on campaign and research work, and the integrated business and engineering degree gives product-minded students a technical route into marketing.

Fairfield University's Dolan School of Business offers marketing as a Bachelor of Science major (51 credits) or a 15-credit minor. The school describes marketing as a blend of psychology, sociology, art, statistics and analytics, and the curriculum covers determining consumer wants, managing marketing activities, pricing, delivery and communication. Fairfield points to its proximity to the New York business community for internships, and recent graduates have held roles such as digital and social media specialist, SEO and SEM coordinator, market research analyst, sales development representative and campaign specialist. The Dolan Career Development Center supports students with professional development services throughout the program. Fairfield also lists the marketing major alongside related majors in management, finance and international business, so students can pair interests across the school.

Fairfield graduates 84% of its students and admits 33% of applicants. Tuition is $57,450 a year and applies to all students, with no separate in-state and out-of-state rates. The program's Program Score is 94.6 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want a business-school marketing degree with strong internship access and are comfortable with private-college pricing.

Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business offers a bachelor's degree in marketing. The department says the program develops decision-making and managerial skills, with special emphases on innovation, high technology, retailing and digital marketing. As a marketing student, you can apply what you learn working with local Silicon Valley companies on team projects or in individual internships. The faculty teach web and mobile marketing alongside quantitative methods for gathering data, and students work on real-world projects while learning ethical business practices. Related options include a marketing minor, new in fall 2024, and a retail studies minor that combines marketing, economics, data analytics, consumer behavior and information systems coursework. Student groups include the Marketing Association and the Retail Management Institute.

The federal numbers show an 88% graduation rate and a 48% admit rate, so admission is selective. In-state tuition is $60,639, the same as the out-of-state figure. The program earns a Program Score of 94.5 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want project-based marketing experience close to the technology industry, and who are prepared for private-university costs. Evening, weekend and hybrid formats exist across degree levels at the school, so those wanting flexibility should ask about undergraduate options.

The University of Miami awards a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major area of specialization in Marketing, and the school designates the major as STEM. Beyond the traditional 4Ps, the curriculum covers Marketing Analytics, Cases in Marketing Analytics, Artificial Intelligence in Marketing, Text Analytics, Brand Content Management and Digital Media Metrics. Students complete the BSBA Business Core, which includes Python programming, business analytics, probability and statistics and a final-semester strategic management course, then take Marketing Research, Marketing Analytics and Marketing Management plus three choice courses, at least two of them from the STEM-designated list. At least one course with an international focus is required, and the degree totals 120 credit hours.

The University of Miami graduates 84% of its students and admits 19% of applicants. Tuition is $60,720 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. This program earns a Program Score of 94.5 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It suits students who want a marketing degree with a heavy quantitative and technology component and who are prepared for a selective admissions process and a private-university price.

The University of Central Florida (UCF) houses its Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Marketing in the Miller College of Business. Students choose between two tracks. The marketing management track prepares graduates for entry-level roles in marketing management, product or brand management, retail, sales and market research. The professional selling track targets business-to-business sales, with room to advance into sales or marketing management. Courses named on the program page include Marketing Strategy, Digital Media Marketing and Strategic Management, and the page lists skills in consumer research, communications and digital brand engagement. UCF states that the marketing program is accredited by AACSB. The page also notes that the marketing degree is not eligible for a double degree with another College of Business major.

Federal data shows a 78% graduation rate and a 40% admit rate, so admission is selective. In-state tuition is $4,478, versus $19,810 for out-of-state students. The program's Program Score of 94.3 out of 100 is the basis of its ranking. It suits Florida residents who want a large public business school with a clear choice between a strategy-oriented path and a sales-oriented one, and who are comfortable on a campus with an enrollment near 70,000.