Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Business general manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a business general manager. Business general managers usually study business, accounting, or marketing. 64% of business general managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 956 real business general manager resumes to see exactly what business general manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for business general managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online business general manager courses to help get the education required to be a business general manager.
What education do you need to become a business general manager?
What degree do you need to be a business general manager?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a business general manager?
- Business, 36%
- Accounting, 7%
- Marketing, 6%
- Management, 6%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for business general managers
| Business general manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 13.54% |
| Drexel University | 6.25% |
| Syracuse University | 5.21% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 5.21% |
| University of Arizona | 5.21% |
Best majors for business general managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 35.6% |
| 2 | Accounting | 7.0% |
| 3 | Marketing | 5.8% |
| 4 | Management | 5.6% |
| 5 | Mechanical Engineering | 5.2% |
Best colleges for business general managers
The best colleges for business general managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A business general 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 business general 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 business general 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
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
9. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
20 best online courses for business general managers
Advertising disclosure
1. Inventory Management A-Z: Supply Chain & Business Operations
Inventory Management Basics: MBA beginners course to your optimize your Purchasing, Logistics, EOQ and Safety Stock...
2. Supply Chain Management: Inventory Management and Control
Inventory Management in Supply Chain Management & Inventory Control in Warehouse Logistics & Supply chain Management...
3. Operations Management: Inventory Management
Operations Management Training Program (Course 4 of 8)...
4. Operations Management A-Z: Business Processes and Systems
Operations Management: Supply Chain & Business Processes in Industry for Manufacturing and Services Organizations...
5. Inventory Management: Safety Stock Calculation and Control
Optimize your Supply Chain Safety Stock. Simple to Advanced Methods. Reduce Costs and Risk in your Business Operations...
6. Operations Management in small businesses: key techniques
A toolkit for making small business operations effective and efficient...
7. Lead Generation & Business Development with Dekker Fraser
Customer Acquisition, B2B Marketing, Sales Funnels, Business Development, Demand Generation, Sales Funnel Marketing...
8. Inventory Management in Manufacturing
Complete course on Inventory Management...
9. Retail for Business Analysts and Management Consultants
A practical guide with cases studies how to analyze and improve a retail business during management consulting projects...
10. Business Analyst: Project Management Techniques and Tools
Learn project management techniques to increase your project success rate as a Business Analyst!...
11. Business Fundamentals: Management and HR Management
Management and HR Management Fundamentals: Become a more effective leader and supercharge your business for success...
12. Production for Management Consultants and Business Analysts
Practical guide on how to improve production and operations in a firm and analyze potential savings in Excel...
13. Business Continuity Management & ISO 22301 - Complete Guide
Learn Business Continuity Management from Organizational Resilience, Risk Management & Business Management perspectives!...
14. 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...
15. Human Resources (HR) as a Business Partner
This course provides valuable information on how Human Resource Business Partnering (HRBP) operates in practice...
16. Business Mind - Mastering Business Development
Master in Practice the Product, Sales and Marketing Perspective of Business Development...
17. FMCG for Management Consultants and Business Analysts
A practical guide on how to analyze in Excel and improve consumer goods business during consulting projects...
18. Sustainability Management in Business
Everything you need to know about creating sustainable value, ESG and building business resilience...
19. Business Analysis Fundamentals for Management Consultants
A practical guide for Business Analysts and Management Consultants with exercises in Excel...
20. Supply Chain for Management Consultants & Business Analysts
A practical guide how to improve supply chain in a firm and analyze potential savings in Excel during consulting project...
Top 10 most affordable universities for business general managers
The most affordable schools for business general managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.
If the best universities for business general 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 business general 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
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business general managers
The hardest universities for business general managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for business general 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 business general 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
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. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business general managers
The easiest schools for business general 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 business general 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 business general 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
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average business general manager salary by education level
| Business general manager education level | Business general manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $94,924 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $65,862 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $81,330 |
| Doctorate Degree | $91,300 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $67,967 |
Business general manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for business general manager jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025