Post job

Desktop support manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a desktop support manager. Desktop support managers usually study business, computer science, or computer information systems. 57% of desktop support managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 733 real desktop support manager resumes to see exactly what desktop support manager education sections show.

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

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

There are certain desktop support manager certifications that you should consider. These desktop support manager certifications include IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) and ITIL Foundation.

What education do you need to become a desktop support manager?

What degree do you need to be a desktop support manager?

The most common degree for desktop support managers is bachelor's degree, with 57% of desktop support managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 57%
  • Associate, 25%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a desktop support manager?

You should major in business to become a desktop support manager. 18% of desktop support managers major in business. Other common majors for a desktop support manager include computer science and computer information systems.

Most common colleges for desktop support managers

Desktop support managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for desktop support managers in the US based on their resumes.
Desktop support manager common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix24.14%
DeVry University13.79%
University of Maryland - College Park6.90%
University of South Florida5.75%
University of Connecticut3.45%

Best majors for desktop support managers

Best colleges for desktop support managers

The best colleges for desktop support managers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A desktop support 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 desktop support 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 desktop support 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 desktop support managers

Advertising disclosure

1. Introduction to Technical Support

coursera

Technical Support professionals are in great demand! This is the first course in the IBM IT Support Professional Certificate program, designed to prepare you for a rewarding career in technical support. You will begin this self-paced course by learning what Informational Technology (IT) support is all about. You'll find out the roles and responsibilities of Technical Support professionals and become familiar with all the different career paths you can take in Technical Support. You will also...

2. Computer Network Fundamentals- IT Helpdesk & Desktop Support

udemy
4
(409)

Learn the basic fundamentals of computer networking & OSI model for desktop support and IT service desk technicians...

3. Basic Computer Course - Windows 7/10 - IT & Desktop Support

udemy
4.7
(1,213)

Basic computer course with troubleshooting skills -computer hardware and computer networking, for IT support technicians...

4. Computer Hardware, Operating System and Networking

udemy
4.1
(314)

For Any Graduates/Engineering/Diploma/Arts & Science/Freshers/Home Users/Individuals/Desktop Support/FM/Service Engineer...

5. IT & Technical Support Guide to Helpdesk, Desktop & Servers

udemy
4.2
(1,138)

Learn how the different levels of IT technical support work, from service desk to infrastructure and server support...

6. Active Directory & Group Policy Administration for IT Techs

udemy
4.5
(651)

Active Directory & Group Policy Administration Basics for Helpdesk and Desktop / IT Support Technicians...

7. Desktop IT Support Level 1 & 2 in real life (Troubleshooting

udemy
4.2
(1,443)

Learn everything in real life Troubleshooting for IT Help Desk , Helpdesk , IT Support , System Administration and IT...

8. IT Support Technical Skills Bootcamp

udemy
4.5
(1,653)

Hands-on Technical skills for IT Support Professionals...

9. Remote Desktop Services Windows Server 2016

udemy
4.6
(1,444)

Learn RDS Sessions and Application on Windows Server 2016 and Get Everything You Need To Start Deploying RDS...

10. IT Support Technical Skills Helpdesk

udemy
4.7
(1,561)

Hands-on Technical skills for IT Support Learners...

11. Deploying Windows Virtual Desktop in Microsoft Azure

udemy
4.2
(374)

Delivering Remote Desktops and Apps in Azure with Windows Virtual Desktop and Azure AD Domain Services...

12. Windows Server 2019: Active Directory, GPO, R. Server Access

udemy
4.7
(4,916)

Training For Beginners - Become a Network Administrator in Microsoft Windows Server 2019 with Remote Server Access!...

13. Active Directory on Windows Server

udemy
4.6
(8,804)

Learn how to deploy and manage all aspects of Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS and many more technologies...

14. Mastering Group Policy on Windows Server

udemy
4.7
(2,427)

An IT person's guide to managing Active Directory Users and Computers with Group Policy...

15. [Active Directory] Management using Windows PowerShell

udemy
4.5
(1,078)

[Power Shell] Simplified practical knowledge for automation & management of [Active Directory] using Windows Power Shell...

16. TOTAL: Active Directory with Windows Server 2016

udemy
4.6
(2,189)

Identity, Access, and Authentication with Microsoft AD and Identity with Windows Server 2016...

17. AZ-140 Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)

udemy
4.4
(320)

Journey to Cloud Desktop...

18. Zero to Hero with Azure Virtual Desktop AVD

udemy
4.6
(2,175)

Getting started with Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) ARM (previously named Windows Virtual Desktop WVD)...

19. 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...

20. Windows Server 2019 Administration

udemy
4.6
(7,325)

Learn Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, Storage, Backup, Azure integration and More...

Top 10 most affordable universities for desktop support managers

The most affordable schools for desktop support managers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for desktop support 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 desktop support 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 desktop support managers

The hardest universities for desktop support managers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for desktop support 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 desktop support 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 desktop support managers

The easiest schools for desktop support 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 desktop support 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 desktop support 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 desktop support manager salary by education level

According to our data, desktop support managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $72,106 annually. Desktop support managers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $68,680.
Desktop support manager education levelDesktop support manager salary
Master's Degree$72,106
High School Diploma or Less$55,460
Bachelor's Degree$62,256
Doctorate Degree$68,680
Some College/ Associate Degree$56,732

Desktop support manager education FAQs

Search for desktop support 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 computer and mathematical jobs