City manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a city manager. City managers usually study business, political science, or public administration. 63% of city managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,091 real city manager resumes to see exactly what city manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for city managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain city manager certifications that you should consider. These city manager certifications include Certificate in Public Financial Management (Cert PFM) and Certified Manager Certification (CM).

What education do you need to become a city manager?

What degree do you need to be a city manager?

The most common degree for city managers is bachelor's degree, with 63% of city managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 63%

Master's, 16%

Associate, 12%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a city manager?

You should major in business to become a city manager. 31% of city managers major in business. Other common majors for a city manager include political science and public administration.

Business, 31%

Political Science, 10%

Public Administration, 10%

Communication, 5%

Other Majors, 44%

Most common colleges for city managers

City managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of North Texas, and Florida International University. Here are the most common colleges for city managers in the US based on their resumes.

City manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	10.43%
University of North Texas	6.13%
Florida International University	6.13%
University of Florida	5.52%
University of Arizona	5.52%

Show more common city manager colleges

Best majors for city managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	30.8%
2	Political Science	9.8%
3	Public Administration	9.6%
4	Communication	5.2%
5	Accounting	4.6%

Show more common city manager majors

Best colleges for city managers

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

A city 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 city 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 city 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. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for city managers

Advertising disclosure

1. Predictive Analytics for Business

Learn to apply predictive analytics and business intelligence to solve real-world business problems...

2. AI for Business Leaders

Master the foundations of artificial intelligence so you can strategically implement AI in your company. Leverage machine learning technologies to power corporate growth, increase efficiency, and enhance customer experiences...

3. Operational Risks Management ORM

4.3

(1,174)

Operational Risks Management ORM Case Studies for Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, IS Security, Banking Professionals...

4. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0

4.3

(312)

Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...

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. Ultimate HR Generalist and Human Resource Management Course

4.3

(1,866)

Hands-on HR Certification: All HRM topics. Master Employee Life Cycle, Payroll, Recruitment, Engagement, EXDesign and AI...

7. The Complete Project Management Fundamentals Course + CERT

4.4

(8,252)

Project Management Certification to get in an industry that is adding 1.5 million jobs each year: Project Management...

8. Project Management Course: Master Project Scope Management

4.3

(457)

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

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

4.5

(82,218)

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

10. Project Management: Master Project Management - PMP/PMI

4.6

(12,299)

Master Project Management using this practical certification course...

11. Project Management Fundamentals: Run projects effectively

4.4

(9,605)

Learn how to effectively analyze, plan, execute, and manage projects that consistently accomplish company objectives...

12. Strategic Planning Basics for Human Resources

4.4

(1,449)

Learn to collaborate with your organizational leaders on the development and implementation of a strategic plan...

13. Practical Project Management for Management Consultants

4.5

(809)

How to manage successfully a consulting project - a practical guide for Project Managers...

14. Master Course in Project Management 2.0

4.2

(490)

Project Management, PMP, Agile project management, Project manager, Prince2, Scrum, Project Planning, Project risk cost...

15. Introduction to Human Resource Management

4.7

(2,402)

HRM is an important function of any organization. It includes managing people in a structured and thorough manner...

16. Project Management Professional Certification Program (PMP)

4.2

(2,380)

Your Guide to the Gold Standard of Project Management Certifications (PMI-PMP) (PMBOK7 updated) (40 PDUs minimum)...

17. Project Management Essentials: Ace Your Next Project!

4.5

(1,719)

The Missing Toolkit for Truly Effective, Everyday Project Management Project Management Basics for Everyone...

18. Human Resources For Beginners

4.4

(1,664)

A guide to learning the fundamentals of human resource management...

19. Certification Course in Human Resource Management

4.3

(1,337)

Curriculum commensurate to Top B School's Management Program : with downloadable resources, quiz, assessments & exercise...

20. Agile Project Management Bootcamp: Agile Project Management

4.5

(1,916)

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

Top 10 most affordable universities for city managers

The most affordable schools for city managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for city 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 city 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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

10. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for city managers

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

Some great schools for city 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 city 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

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. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for city managers

The easiest schools for city 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 city 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 city 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. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,080

9. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average city manager salary by education level

According to our data, city managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $90,438 annually. City managers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $90,421.

City manager education level	City manager salary
Master's Degree	$90,438
Bachelor's Degree	$81,149
Doctorate Degree	$90,421
Some College/ Associate Degree	$58,879

City manager education FAQs

What is the best college for City Managers?

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

Search for city manager jobs

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

Browse executive management jobs