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Data product manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a data product manager. Data product managers usually study business, electrical engineering, or computer science. 72% of data product managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 312 real data product manager resumes to see exactly what data product manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for data product managers are the Boston University and the Boston University.
There are also many online data product manager courses to help get the education required to be a data product manager.
There are certain data product manager certifications that you should consider. These data product manager certifications include Certified Manager Certification (CM) and Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO).
What education do you need to become a data product manager?
What degree do you need to be a data product manager?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 8%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a data product manager?
- Business, 31%
- Computer Science, 9%
- Marketing, 7%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for data product managers
| Data product manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Boston University | 8.62% |
| DeVry University | 8.62% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.90% |
| Syracuse University | 5.17% |
| University of Connecticut | 5.17% |
Best majors for data product managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 31.1% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 10.7% |
| 3 | Computer Science | 9.2% |
| 4 | Marketing | 6.6% |
| 5 | Communication | 5.1% |
Best colleges for data product managers
The best colleges for data product managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A data product 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 data product 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 data product managers.
1. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
3. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
4. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for data product managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for data product managers
The most affordable schools for data product managers are Fashion Institute of Technology, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for data product 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 data product managers.
1. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
9. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for data product managers
The hardest universities for data product managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for data product 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 data product 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for data product managers
The easiest schools for data product managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan 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 data product 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 data product managers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
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. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
7. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average data product manager salary by education level
| Data product manager education level | Data product manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $133,472 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $121,024 |
| Doctorate Degree | $138,167 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025