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Functional manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a functional manager. Functional managers usually study business, computer science, or management. 58% of functional managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 988 real functional manager resumes to see exactly what functional manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for functional managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online functional manager courses to help get the education required to be a functional manager.
There are certain functional manager certifications that you should consider. These functional manager certifications include Certified Management Professional (CMP) and IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL).
What education do you need to become a functional manager?
What degree do you need to be a functional manager?
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Associate, 24%
- Master's, 12%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a functional manager?
- Business, 28%
- Computer Science, 9%
- Management, 6%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for functional managers
| Functional manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 16.04% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 11.32% |
| Johnson & Wales University | 6.60% |
| DePaul University | 5.66% |
| Ohio State University | 4.72% |
Best majors for functional managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 27.6% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 8.7% |
| 3 | Management | 6.0% |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering | 5.8% |
| 5 | Supply Chain Management | 5.3% |
Best colleges for functional managers
The best colleges for functional managers are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
A functional 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 functional 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 functional managers.
1. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for functional managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for functional managers
The most affordable schools for functional managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for functional 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 functional 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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for functional managers
The hardest universities for functional managers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for functional 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 functional 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
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 functional managers
The easiest schools for functional managers to get into are Barry University, capitol technology university, and ottawa university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a functional 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 functional managers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
3. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
4. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
8. Chestnut Hill College
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,026
9. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
10. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
Average functional manager salary by education level
| Functional manager education level | Functional manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $122,384 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $116,588 |
| Doctorate Degree | $124,277 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $101,848 |
Functional manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025