Club manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a club manager. Club managers usually study business, kinesiology, or hospitality management. 63% of club managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,003 real club manager resumes to see exactly what club manager education sections show.

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

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

There are certain club manager certifications that you should consider. These club manager certifications include Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Club Manager (CCM).

What education do you need to become a club manager?

What degree do you need to be a club manager?

The most common degree for club managers is bachelor's degree, with 63% of club managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 63%

Associate, 17%

High School Diploma, 10%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a club manager?

You should major in business to become a club manager. 30% of club managers major in business. Other common majors for a club manager include kinesiology and hospitality management.

Business, 30%

Kinesiology, 11%

Hospitality Management, 6%

Management, 6%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for club managers

Club managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Wisconsin Colleges, and Johnson & Wales University. Here are the most common colleges for club managers in the US based on their resumes.

Club manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	10.66%
University of Wisconsin Colleges	8.82%
Johnson & Wales University	7.35%
Purdue University	5.88%
Michigan State University	5.51%

Show more common club manager colleges

Best majors for club managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	29.8%
2	Kinesiology	11.1%
3	Hospitality Management	6.3%
4	Management	5.5%
5	Marketing	5.2%

Show more common club manager majors

Best colleges for club managers

The best colleges for club managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

A club 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 club 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 club managers.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

20 best online courses for club managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for club managers

The most affordable schools for club managers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for club 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 club managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for club managers

The hardest universities for club managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for club 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 club 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

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

The easiest schools for club managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a club 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 club 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. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

8. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

9. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average club manager salary by education level

According to our data, club managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $61,889 annually. Club managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $57,840.

Club manager education level	Club manager salary
Master's Degree	$57,840
High School Diploma or Less	$37,516
Bachelor's Degree	$50,279
Doctorate Degree	$61,889
Some College/ Associate Degree	$39,875

Club manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Club 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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