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Contracts manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a contracts manager. Contracts managers usually study business, law, or accounting. 63% of contracts managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 14,139 real contracts manager resumes to see exactly what contracts manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for contracts managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online contracts manager courses to help get the education required to be a contracts manager.
There are certain contracts manager certifications that you should consider. These contracts manager certifications include Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) and Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM).
What education do you need to become a contracts manager?
What degree do you need to be a contracts manager?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 11%
- Doctorate, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a contracts manager?
- Business, 37%
- Law, 8%
- Accounting, 7%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for contracts managers
| Contracts manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 15.86% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 8.59% |
| George Washington University, The | 8.06% |
| Strayer University | 5.43% |
| Florida State University | 5.26% |
Best majors for contracts managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 37.2% |
| 2 | Law | 7.9% |
| 3 | Accounting | 6.6% |
| 4 | Political Science | 6.0% |
| 5 | Management | 5.9% |
Best colleges for contracts managers
The best colleges for contracts managers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A contracts 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 contracts 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 contracts managers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
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. Maine Maritime Academy
Castine, ME • Private
In-state tuition
$13,478
Enrollment
979
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
20 best online courses for contracts managers
Advertising disclosure
1. American Contract Law II
Course description: Contracts I & II provides a comprehensive overview of contract law in the United States. The course covers most of the key concepts found in a first year law school class. Each lecture is based on one or more common-law cases, integrating legal doctrines with policy discussions. The course also covers key sections from the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which governs the sale of goods. By the end of the course, the learner should be able to understand: Formation defenses:...
2. Contract Management: Managing Contractual Risks
How to identify and deal with contract risks...
3. Contracts Management in Construction Projects
Contracts Management, Contract Administration, FIDIC, Bank Guarantees, Contracts, Letter Drafting, Quantity Surveying...
4. Introduction to Contract Management
Understand what is involved in the contract management process and put this knowledge to work with confidence...
5. Learn Federal Government Contracting From An Expert
A comprehensive guide to Register, Search Opportunities, GSA, Certifications, Accounting, Marketing& Bidding to the feds...
6. Complete Contract Management Bootcamp: Zero to Hero
Learn essential post-contract management principles and practices, and gain access to over 30 free MS tools...
7. Learning Business Contracts for Beginners
An Introductory Guide to Drafting Winning Contracts, Negotiating Well, and Getting What You Want...
8. Project Management Master Class: Government Projects
Learn How To Win Big By Always Successfully Completing Government Projects Using Ninja Project Management Techniques...
9. A Practical Approach to FIDIC Contracts
The interactive course is based on the FIDIC Approved Module 1 Workshop and introduces the FIDIC Suite of Contracts...
10. The complete course on the Indian Contract Act, 1872
Law of Contract in India as under Indian Contract Act, 1872...
11. Wholesale Real Estate Contracts: Flip Houses Risk Free
Download A Full Package Of Strategically Developed Real Estate Contracts And Learn How To Leverage Them In Your Business...
12. Essentials of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
The Who, What, When, Where, and How of the World's Most Common Business Contract...
13. Law of Contracts in 60 Minutes: A Fast Track Course
A 60 minute fast track summary of the Law of Contracts, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...
14. The Fundamentals of end-to-end Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain Management - Level 1: Introducing all the Key Components of a Supply Chain...
15. Microservices Contract Testing with Pact
This Course explains Why/How to write contract tests for Testing Microservices using Pact Testing tool on Live Projects...
16. Contracts, Delays and Claims with Primavera P6
Learn all about Contracts, Delays & Claims along with practical Delay Analysis using Primavera P6 software...
17. Blockchain For Finance: Using Blockchain & Smart Contracts
Emerging Blockchain & Smart Contract Applications Are Impacting The Financial Industry Today! Get Smart on Blockchain...
18. Learn Solidity: Programming Language for Smart Contracts
Best Solidity Tutorial Available Online to Build Blockchain Based Decentralized Application DApps on Ethereum Network...
19. English for Business and Law - Contract Law
An English language course for business and law...
20. SAP Customer Service (CS/SM) - Service Management module
Real World SAP CS and SD, Repair Orders, Service Orders, Service Contracts...
Top 10 most affordable universities for contracts managers
The most affordable schools for contracts managers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for contracts 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 contracts managers.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Cost of attendance
22,990
10. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for contracts managers
The hardest universities for contracts managers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for contracts 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 contracts 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for contracts managers
The easiest schools for contracts managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a contracts 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 contracts managers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
8. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
9. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
10. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
Average contracts manager salary by education level
| Contracts manager education level | Contracts manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $95,955 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $61,078 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $80,710 |
| Doctorate Degree | $93,195 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $62,658 |
Contracts manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025