Capital project manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a capital project manager. Capital project managers usually study business, mechanical engineering, or civil engineering. 70% of capital project managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 876 real capital project manager resumes to see exactly what capital project manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for capital project managers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

There are also many online capital project manager courses to help get the education required to be a capital project manager.

There are certain capital project manager certifications that you should consider. These capital project manager certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Six Sigma Green Belt.

What education do you need to become a capital project manager?

What degree do you need to be a capital project manager?

The most common degree for capital project managers is bachelor's degree, with 70% of capital project managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 70%

Master's, 17%

Associate, 8%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a capital project manager?

You should major in business to become a capital project manager. 21% of capital project managers major in business. Other common majors for a capital project manager include mechanical engineering and civil engineering.

Business, 21%

Mechanical Engineering, 14%

Civil Engineering, 8%

Chemical Engineering, 8%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for capital project managers

Capital project managers often get their degrees at Purdue University, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Drexel University. Here are the most common colleges for capital project managers in the US based on their resumes.

Capital project manager common college	Percentages
Purdue University	7.96%
University of Illinois at Chicago	7.08%
Drexel University	7.08%
Pennsylvania State University	7.08%
Arizona State University	5.31%

Show more common capital project manager colleges

Best majors for capital project managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	21.1%
2	Mechanical Engineering	13.7%
3	Civil Engineering	8.4%
4	Chemical Engineering	8.0%
5	Electrical Engineering	6.2%

Show more common capital project manager majors

Best colleges for capital project managers

The best colleges for capital project managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A capital 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 capital 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 capital project managers.

1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

7. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for capital project managers

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1. Projects Cost Management, Estimating, Budgeting and Control.

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Learn how to estimate costs for any project, how to determine budget and how to use Earned Value Management tools. 3 PDU...

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Project Management tips to manage a million dollar IT Project budget from start to finish...

3. Construction Cost Estimating and Management

4.6

(642)

Learn the tools used by construction management professionals to ensure their projects finish under budget...

4. Mastering Construction/Project Management

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(659)

Mastering Construction-Project Management in less than 10 Hours...

5. Project Management - Complete Guide For A+ Project Managers

4.6

(494)

Complete guide to project management - stakeholders, planning, cost, quality, risks, feasibility, methods & resourcing...

6. Project Management: Cost & Schedule Monitoring using EVM

4.3

(1,114)

Earned Value Management, Project Management, Cost Control & Monitor, Budget, Schedule & Cost Variance, Performance Index...

7. Project Management Essentials

4.5

(15,814)

A crash course in the essentials of project management for new project managers...

8. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery

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(82,218)

Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...

9. Project Management: Becoming a Successful Project manager

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10. Practical Project Portfolio Management

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11. Project Management Master Class: Government Projects

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Contracts Management, Contract Administration, FIDIC, Bank Guarantees, Contracts, Letter Drafting, Quantity Surveying...

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Project Management: Growing a Successful Career as a Project Manager...

16. Master Course in Project Management 2.0

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Project Management for NEW Project Managers - knowledge, tools, techniques, skills, checklists, guidelines, pitfalls...

18. Project Management Course: Master Project Scope Management

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Practical guide to scope development and management - Project Management Certification (PMP, CAPM) Training [Earn 11PDU]...

19. Agile Project Management Bootcamp: Agile Project Management

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This Agile Project Management Bootcamp course will allow you to learn the Agile Way! Agile Project Management (Scrum)...

20. Project Management for Beginners: Fundamentals Crash Course

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Project Management Training for new Project Managers - Introduction to Project Management Certification - PMP - Agile...

Top 10 most affordable universities for capital project managers

The most affordable schools for capital project managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for capital 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 capital project 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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for capital project managers

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

Some great schools for capital 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 capital 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. 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,339

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for capital project managers

The easiest schools for capital project managers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and university of north texas at dallas.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a capital 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 capital project managers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

Average capital project manager salary by education level

According to our data, capital project managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $93,376 annually. Capital project managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $87,737.

Capital project manager education level	Capital project manager salary
Master's Degree	$93,376
High School Diploma or Less	$73,381
Bachelor's Degree	$87,737
Doctorate Degree	$85,893
Some College/ Associate Degree	$76,536

Capital project manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Capital Project Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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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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