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Admissions manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an admissions manager. Admissions managers usually study business, psychology, or communication. 65% of admissions managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,431 real admissions manager resumes to see exactly what admissions manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for admissions managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online admissions manager courses to help get the education required to be an admissions manager.
What education do you need to become an admissions manager?
What degree do you need to be an admissions manager?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an admissions manager?
- Business, 31%
- Psychology, 9%
- Communication, 9%
- Nursing, 7%
- Other Majors, 44%
Most common colleges for admissions managers
| Admissions manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 28.96% |
| Strayer University | 8.14% |
| Ashford University | 7.69% |
| American InterContinental University | 6.79% |
| Argosy University | 4.52% |
Best majors for admissions managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 31.5% |
| 2 | Psychology | 8.6% |
| 3 | Communication | 8.6% |
| 4 | Nursing | 7.2% |
| 5 | Management | 6.3% |
Best colleges for admissions managers
The best colleges for admissions managers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
An admissions 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 admissions 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 admissions 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. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
9. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for admissions managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for admissions managers
The most affordable schools for admissions managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for admissions 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 admissions 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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for admissions managers
The hardest universities for admissions managers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for admissions 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 admissions 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for admissions managers
The easiest schools for admissions managers to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an admissions 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 admissions managers.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average admissions manager salary by education level
| Admissions manager education level | Admissions manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $68,252 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $60,167 |
| Doctorate Degree | $74,601 |
Admissions manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025