Explore Jobs
Find Specific Jobs
Explore Careers
Explore Professions
Best Companies
Explore Companies
Manager Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a manager. Managers usually study business, accounting, or psychology. 49% of managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 652,606 real manager resumes to see exactly what manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online manager courses to help get the education required to be a manager.
There are certain manager certifications that you should consider. These manager certifications include Food Safety Manager Certification and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
What education do you need to become a manager?
What degree do you need to be a manager?
- Bachelor's, 49%
- Associate, 18%
- High School Diploma, 17%
- Master's, 7%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a manager?
- Business, 31%
- Accounting, 7%
- Psychology, 6%
- Criminal Justice, 5%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for managers
Manager Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 20.76% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.06% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 4.93% |
| Ohio State University | 4.90% |
| University of Houston | 4.59% |
Best majors for managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 31.3% |
| 2 | Accounting | 6.8% |
| 3 | Psychology | 6.0% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 5.1% |
| 5 | General Studies | 4.7% |
Best colleges for managers
The best colleges for managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for managers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become managers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for managers
Advertising Disclosure
1. Operational Risks Management ORM
Operational Risks Management ORM Case Studies for Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, IS Security, Banking Professionals...
2. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System
Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...
3. Supply Chain Management A-Z: Operations & Logistics Basics
Supply Chain Management Basics: An MBA style course to boost your career as a business operations & logistics manager...
4. HR,HR Analytics, Human Resource Management, Black Friday Ed
HR Analytics ,HR Courses, human resource management, ,HR certification, HRM, hr payroll, people management, 2022...
5. Certification Course in Human Resource Management
Curriculum commensurate to Top B School's Management Program : with downloadable resources, quiz, assessments & exercise...
6. Payroll Management
Use free UK payroll software to perform essential payroll management...
7. Create POS System - Inventory & sales with PHP 7 & adminLTE
Learn how to create a POS system with inventory management and billing using PHP 7 and Admin LTE...
8. Introduction to Human Resource Management
HRM is an important function of any organization. It includes managing people in a structured and thorough manner...
9. PHP for Beginners to Inventory POS Sales Project - AdminLTE
Create Inventory POS System Project With Billing by use of Bootstrap Responsive Admin LTE Dashboard With PHP PHP7 MYSQL...
10. SAP MM Materials Management (beginner to expert level)
Master SAP Materials Management module with practical implementation steps. Prepare and crack SAP MM Certification exam...
Top 10 most affordable universities for managers
The most affordable schools for managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.
If the best universities for managers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for managers.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,656
Cost of Attendance
21,623
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
U
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,587
Cost of Attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for managers
The hardest universities for managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for managers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for managers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,445
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
19%
SAT Average
1,466
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
17%
SAT Average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for managers
The easiest schools for managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a manager without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for managers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
84%
SAT Average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,006
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
68%
SAT Average
964
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
83%
SAT Average
992
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
70%
SAT Average
849
Average manager salary by education level
| Manager education level | Manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $77,379 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $52,956 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $65,914 |
| Doctorate Degree | $74,316 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $54,713 |
Manager Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for manager jobs
Loading...
Loading...
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025