Post job

Customer service/operations manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a customer service/operations manager. Customer service/operations managers usually study business, communication, or management. 56% of customer service/operations managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,901 real customer service/operations manager resumes to see exactly what customer service/operations manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for customer service/operations managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online customer service/operations manager courses to help get the education required to be a customer service/operations manager.

There are certain customer service/operations manager certifications that you should consider. These customer service/operations manager certifications include Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

What education do you need to become a customer service/operations manager?

What degree do you need to be a customer service/operations manager?

The most common degree for customer service/operations managers is bachelor's degree, with 56% of customer service/operations managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 56%
  • Associate, 19%
  • High School Diploma, 13%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a customer service/operations manager?

You should major in business to become a customer service/operations manager. 43% of customer service/operations managers major in business. Other common majors for a customer service/operations manager include communication and management.

Most common colleges for customer service/operations managers

Customer service/operations managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and Florida International University. Here are the most common colleges for customer service/operations managers in the US based on their resumes.
Customer service/operations manager common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix24.28%
DeVry University6.88%
Florida International University5.07%
University of Utah4.71%
San Jose State University4.35%

Best majors for customer service/operations managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business42.7%
2Communication5.1%
3Management4.9%
4Marketing4.9%
5Accounting3.9%

Best colleges for customer service/operations managers

The best colleges for customer service/operations managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A customer service/operations 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 customer service/operations 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 customer service/operations 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 customer service/operations managers

Advertising disclosure

1. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

udemy
4.5
(941)

Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

2. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

udemy
4.6
(2,666)

Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...

3. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service

udemy
4.5
(3,822)

Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...

4. Customer Service: 6 Keys To Exceptional Customer Service

udemy
4.6
(601)

Master Customer Satisfaction & Astonish Your Customers With A+ Customer Service...

5. Customer Service

udemy
4.6
(11,267)

How to Approach New Customers and Maintain Existing Ones...

6. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer

udemy
4.7
(18,204)

Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...

7. Customer Service Training: Dealing with Difficult Customers

udemy
4.5
(1,035)

Learn how to deal with difficult customers Master customer relationship management Gain conflict management skills...

8. SAP Customer Service (CS/SM) - Service Management module

udemy
4.4
(960)

Real World SAP CS and SD, Repair Orders, Service Orders, Service Contracts...

9. The Customer: Build a Customer Service Strategy (BITE SIZE)

udemy
4.5
(10,168)

For you and your team to be successful in providing great customer service, start by putting your customer first...

10. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service

udemy
4.5
(3,956)

Used by ChaseĀ®, IntelĀ®, & more! Learn soft skills, social media customer service, diagnosing user problems, & more...

11. Customer Service Basics: Improve your Service now

udemy
4.5
(889)

The basic golden rules to kickstart your service...

12. Customer Service Success: Take Your Skills to the Next Level

udemy
4.5
(2,276)

3-in-1 Customer Service Training: Levels 1, 2, 3 Improve Your Soft Communication Skills, Customer Support & Experience...

13. Operational Risks Management ORM

udemy
4.3
(1,174)

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

14. Supply Chain Management A-Z: Operations & Logistics Basics

udemy
4.5
(2,394)

Supply Chain Management Basics: An MBA style course to boost your career as a business operations & logistics manager...

15. Brilliant Customer Service: How to Impress your Customers!

udemy
4.7
(12,891)

Enhance your customer support and truly differentiate yourself from your competition!...

16. Outstanding Customer Service - The Ultimate Guide!

udemy
4.5
(292)

Unlocking the Powerful Secrets of OUTSTANDING Customer Service - Transform Your Business!...

17. Customer Service: Keep 'em coming back!

udemy
4.5
(3,150)

How to give the best customer service in your industry and keep those customers raving about your business...

18. Your Customer Service Toolbox: Best Practices for Beginners

udemy
4.5
(4,101)

Excel as a front-line customer service agent using problem-solving & relationship-building skills, etiquette, and more...

19. ISO 9001:2015-Quality Management System Implementation & Audit

udemy
4.2
(707)

Learn how to Implement and Audit a Quality Management System as per ISO 9001: 2015...

20. Certified Key Performance Indicators Professional (CKPIP)

udemy
4.2
(686)

Be a Certified KPI Professional by learning from KPI Mega Library best-selling author (All about Metrics & Measures)...

Top 10 most affordable universities for customer service/operations managers

The most affordable schools for customer service/operations managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for customer service/operations 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 customer service/operations 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 customer service/operations managers

The hardest universities for customer service/operations managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for customer service/operations 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 customer service/operations 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 customer service/operations managers

The easiest schools for customer service/operations 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 customer service/operations 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 customer service/operations 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 customer service/operations manager salary by education level

According to our data, customer service/operations managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $85,888 annually. Customer service/operations managers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $83,252.
Customer service/operations manager education levelCustomer service/operations manager salary
Master's Degree$85,888
High School Diploma or Less$64,092
Bachelor's Degree$75,888
Doctorate Degree$83,252
Some College/ Associate Degree$65,727

Customer service/operations manager education FAQs

Search for customer service/operations manager jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

Browse executive management jobs