Explore Jobs
Find Specific Jobs
Explore Careers
Explore Professions
Best Companies
Explore Companies
Project Manager Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a project manager. Project managers usually study business, computer science, or electrical engineering. 68% of project managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 310,969 real project manager resumes to see exactly what project manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for project managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online project manager courses to help get the education required to be a project manager.
There are certain project manager certifications that you should consider. These project manager certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Scrum Master (CSM).
What education do you need to become a project manager?
What degree do you need to be a project manager?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a project manager?
- Business, 29%
- Computer Science, 6%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for project managers
Project Manager Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.53% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.50% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.01% |
| Purdue University | 5.31% |
| Texas A&M University | 5.30% |
Best majors for project managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 28.8% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 6.5% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 5.5% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 4.9% |
| 5 | Civil Engineering | 4.8% |
Best colleges for project managers
The best colleges for project managers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
A project 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 project 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 project managers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for project managers
Advertising Disclosure
1. Digital Project Management
Build confidence translating business requirements into project scope statements, creating project plans in Waterfall or Agile, and developing a high-performing team...
2. The Agile Methodology for Project Risk Managers
The Agile Project Management and Risk Management for Project Professionals Full Course...
3. Master Course in Project Management 2.0
Project Management, PMP, Agile project management, Project manager, Prince2, Scrum, Project Planning, Project risk cost...
4. Mastering Construction/Project Management
Mastering Construction-Project Management in less than 10 Hours...
5. Project Management Essentials
A crash course in the essentials of project management for new project managers...
6. Project Management - Complete Guide For A+ Project Managers
Complete guide to project management - stakeholders, planning, cost, quality, risks, feasibility, methods & resourcing...
7. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery
Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...
9. Beginning Project Management: Project Management Level One
Project Management: Growing a Successful Career as a Project Manager...
10. Project Management Course: Master Project Scope Management
Practical guide to scope development and management - Project Management Certification (PMP, CAPM) Training [Earn 11PDU]...
Top 10 most affordable universities for project managers
The most affordable schools for project managers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for project 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 project managers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,182
Cost of Attendance
13,998
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for project managers
The hardest universities for project managers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for project 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 project 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
5%
SAT Average
1,520
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,513
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
17%
SAT Average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for project managers
The easiest schools for project managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a project 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 project 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. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
88%
SAT Average
1,044
4. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
78%
SAT Average
1,020
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
83%
SAT Average
992
Average project manager salary by education level
| Project Manager education level | Project Manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $109,564 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $80,440 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $99,138 |
| Doctorate Degree | $114,985 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $84,019 |
Project Manager Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for project manager jobs
Loading...
Loading...
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025