Associate business manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an associate business manager. Associate business managers usually study business, marketing, or finance. 73% of associate business managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 599 real associate business manager resumes to see exactly what associate business manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for associate business managers are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online associate business manager courses to help get the education required to be an associate business manager.

What education do you need to become an associate business manager?

What degree do you need to be an associate business manager?

The most common degree for associate business managers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of associate business managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 73%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 8%

Doctorate, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an associate business manager?

You should major in business to become an associate business manager. 36% of associate business managers major in business. Other common majors for an associate business manager include marketing and finance.

Business, 36%

Marketing, 11%

Finance, 8%

Accounting, 7%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for associate business managers

Associate business managers often get their degrees at New York University, University of Phoenix, and Temple University. Here are the most common colleges for associate business managers in the US based on their resumes.

Associate business manager common college	Percentages
New York University	13.10%
University of Phoenix	10.71%
Temple University	5.95%
Pennsylvania State University	5.95%
Boston University	4.76%

Show more common associate business manager colleges

Best majors for associate business managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	36.0%
2	Marketing	11.5%
3	Finance	7.8%
4	Accounting	7.3%
5	Management	5.3%

Show more common associate business manager majors

Best colleges for associate business managers

The best colleges for associate business managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

An associate business 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 associate business 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 associate business 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. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

8. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

20 best online courses for associate business managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for associate business managers

The most affordable schools for associate business managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for associate business 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 associate business 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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

9. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for associate business managers

The hardest universities for associate business managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for associate business 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 associate business 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

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

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for associate business managers

The easiest schools for associate business 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 an associate business 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 associate business 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. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,080

Average associate business manager salary by education level

According to our data, associate business managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $125,549 annually. Associate business managers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $121,311.

Associate business manager education level	Associate business manager salary
Master's Degree	$125,549
High School Diploma or Less	$90,950
Bachelor's Degree	$109,549
Doctorate Degree	$121,311
Some College/ Associate Degree	$93,509

Associate business manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Associate Business Managers?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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