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Employment program manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an employment program manager. Employment program managers usually study business, psychology, or political science. 73% of employment program managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 331 real employment program manager resumes to see exactly what employment program manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for employment program managers are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.

There are also many online employment program manager courses to help get the education required to be an employment program manager.

What education do you need to become an employment program manager?

What degree do you need to be an employment program manager?

The most common degree for employment program managers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of employment program managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Master's, 14%
  • Associate, 8%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an employment program manager?

You should major in business to become an employment program manager. 21% of employment program managers major in business. Other common majors for an employment program manager include psychology and political science.

Most common colleges for employment program managers

Employment program managers often get their degrees at University of Maryland - College Park, University of New Mexico, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for employment program managers in the US based on their resumes.
Employment program manager common collegePercentages
University of Maryland - College Park8.77%
University of New Mexico8.77%
University of Phoenix7.02%
University of Baltimore5.26%
University of Colorado at Boulder5.26%

Best majors for employment program managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business21.0%
2Psychology13.8%
3Political Science5.1%
4Communication4.6%
5Criminal Justice4.6%

Best colleges for employment program managers

The best colleges for employment program managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

An employment program 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 employment program 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 employment program 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. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for employment program managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for employment program managers

The most affordable schools for employment program managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for employment program 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 employment program 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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for employment program managers

The hardest universities for employment program managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for employment program 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 employment program 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. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for employment program managers

The easiest schools for employment program managers to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an employment program 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 employment program managers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average employment program manager salary by education level

Employment program managers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $63,767 annually. With a Master's degree, employment program managers earn a median annual income of $61,766 compared to $56,521 for employment program managers with an Bachelor's degree.
Employment program manager education levelEmployment program manager salary
Master's Degree$61,766
Bachelor's Degree$56,521
Doctorate Degree$63,767
Some College/ Associate Degree$49,365

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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.

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