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Assistant product development manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an assistant product development manager. Assistant product development managers usually study specialized sales and merchandising, business, or graphic design. 75% of assistant product development managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 244 real assistant product development manager resumes to see exactly what assistant product development manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for assistant product development managers are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

There are also many online assistant product development manager courses to help get the education required to be an assistant product development manager.

What education do you need to become an assistant product development manager?

What degree do you need to be an assistant product development manager?

The most common degree for assistant product development managers is bachelor's degree, with 75% of assistant product development managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 75%
  • Associate, 15%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an assistant product development manager?

You should major in specialized sales and merchandising to become an assistant product development manager. 17% of assistant product development managers major in specialized sales and merchandising. Other common majors for an assistant product development manager include business and graphic design.

Most common colleges for assistant product development managers

Assistant product development managers often get their degrees at Fashion Institute of Technology, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco, and Ramapo College of New Jersey. Here are the most common colleges for assistant product development managers in the US based on their resumes.
Assistant product development manager common collegePercentages
Fashion Institute of Technology26.23%
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco8.20%
Ramapo College of New Jersey4.92%
University of Iowa4.92%
The Art Institute of Seattle4.92%

Best majors for assistant product development managers

Best colleges for assistant product development managers

The best colleges for assistant product development managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

An assistant product development 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 assistant product development 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 assistant product development 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. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for assistant product development managers

Advertising disclosure

1. Strategic Product Development

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This course discusses how companies create new products that customers want while achieving their financial objectives. Learners begin by defining the product strategies necessary to ensure a company’s long-term growth. Learners then explore the different product development processes used by high-tech businesses today, such as Stage-Gate and Lean/Agile techniques. Learners conclude by illustrating the tools to build the high-performance teams that take the development process from concept...

2. Product Management Crash Course; IT Product Management

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Product Management Essentials & Product Management Fundamentals to kick-start your career in Product Management...

3. Product Management Marketing: Dekker's Product Marketing MBA

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4.6
(2,007)

Be a Product Marketing Manager - Product Management : Product Manager MBA : Product to Market : Product Owner Launch GTM...

4. Mechanical design and Product development process

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4.2
(604)

Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...

5. Great Product Manager: Product Management by a Big Tech's PM

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Become a Great Product Manager! Land your dream job with Big Tech's Senior Product Manager...

6. Comprehensive Product management for Product managers

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Become a great product manager with comprehensive product management Real world case study with JIRA & Confluence...

7. Product Management 101

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4.6
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Learn to become a more strategic product manager - and have a greater impact on your company and your products...

8. 50 Personal Development And Personal Productivity Skills

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Personal transformation to be a top-1% performer! Personal development, business productivity, and personal productivity...

9. Product Design Management for Agile Practitioners

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Application of product design management principles, concepts, tools and techniques in agile product management...

10. Product Management A-Z: Excel as a PM & Build great Products

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Product Management course (with Live Case Exercises & inputs from PMs @Top Tech cos.)- Build n Grow products & Get Hired...

11. Product Management Fundamentals

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Case-based practical course on product management to build strong foundations in product concepts, process & frameworks...

12. Product Management for Maximum Impact

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Product Management Videos, Insights, Success Metrics...

13. Product Development & Systems Engineering

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The complete Product Development & Systems Engineering course! Earn 25 contact hours AND prepare to take the INCOSE Exam...

14. Productivity Machine: Time Management & Productivity Hacks

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Productivity & Time Management Strategies for Goal Setting, Eliminating Distractions, & Building Habits for Success...

15. Product Management: Mastering Product Roadmaps 2023

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A complete guide to building a roadmap that works for both your product team and your stakeholders...

16. Product Marketing Launch Plan: Product GTM with Dekker, MBA

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4.6
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Product Management Marketing Strategy, Marketing Plan, Product Marketing Manager, Product Manager Marketing Plan...

17. Smart Tips: Product Management

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4.7
(656)

Find impact, innovation, and success as a product manager...

18. Product Management Certification+Agile Product Owner+Scrum

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4.3
(1,454)

Overview of Agile product management+Online Certification PSPO I Certification Tips for Scrum Product Owner+User Stories...

19. Product Marketing for Technology Companies

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4.5
(463)

Master your product marketing skills through practical examples and exercises...

20. Manufacturing Guide for Mechanical Product Development

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4.9
(491)

Learn how everyday physical products are manufactured with no prior experience in engineering...

Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant product development managers

The most affordable schools for assistant product development managers are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for assistant product development 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 assistant product development managers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

10. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant product development managers

The hardest universities for assistant product development managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for assistant product development 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 assistant product development 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant product development managers

The easiest schools for assistant product development managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant product development 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 assistant product development managers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average assistant product development manager salary by education level

Assistant product development managers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $110,694 annually. With a Master's degree, assistant product development managers earn a median annual income of $101,424 compared to $94,869 for assistant product development managers with an Bachelor's degree.
Assistant product development manager education levelAssistant product development manager salary
Master's Degree$101,424
Bachelor's Degree$94,869
Doctorate Degree$110,694

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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