Hardware manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a hardware manager. Hardware managers usually study business, electrical engineering, or computer science. 57% of hardware managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 727 real hardware manager resumes to see exactly what hardware manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for hardware managers are the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas.

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

What education do you need to become a hardware manager?

What degree do you need to be a hardware manager?

The most common degree for hardware managers is bachelor's degree, with 57% of hardware managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 57%

Associate, 16%

High School Diploma, 12%

Master's, 8%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a hardware manager?

You should major in business to become a hardware manager. 28% of hardware managers major in business. Other common majors for a hardware manager include electrical engineering and computer science.

Business, 28%

Electrical Engineering, 25%

Computer Science, 8%

General Studies, 3%

Other Majors, 36%

Most common colleges for hardware managers

Hardware managers often get their degrees at University of Kansas, San Jose State University, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for hardware managers in the US based on their resumes.

Hardware manager common college	Percentages
University of Kansas	8.47%
San Jose State University	6.78%
University of Phoenix	6.78%
Texas A&M University	6.78%
Stanford University	5.08%

Show more common hardware manager colleges

Best majors for hardware managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	28.2%
2	Electrical Engineering	24.9%
3	Computer Science	8.1%
4	General Studies	3.2%
5	Mechanical Engineering	3.2%

Show more common hardware manager majors

Best colleges for hardware managers

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

A hardware 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 hardware 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 hardware 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

20 best online courses for hardware managers

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3. Computer Hardware, Operating System and Networking

4.1

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4. Hardware Asset Management in ServiceNow

4.5

(1,635)

The perfect course for managing Hardware Assets in Service Now! Unlock the full benefits of IT Asset Management (ITAM)!...

5. Introduction to Hardware and Operating Systems

Get ready to enter the thriving field of Information Technology (IT), with job ready skills! This beginner friendly course provides the core hardware and operating system knowledge needed by anyone new to IT and computer hardware who wants to start a new career in technology, including IT Support, Networking, Cybersecurity, and Software Development. You will first be introduced to computing fundamentals, the four functions of computing, and the benefits of computing. You will become...

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Inventory is a strategic asset for organizations. The effective management of inventory can minimize a company’s spending while dramatically increasing its profit. In this course, we will explore how to use data science to manage inventory in uncertain environments, how to set inventory levels based on customer service requirements, and how to calculate inventory for products that have short sales cycles...

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9. Embedded Hardware and Operating Systems

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11. Operations Management: Inventory Management

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12. Inventory Management A-Z: Supply Chain & Business Operations

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13. Inventory Management: Safety Stock Calculation and Control

4.6

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14. IT Asset Management (ITAM) - Hardware Asset Management (HAM)

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

4.2

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16. IT Support Technical Skills Bootcamp

4.5

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17. Supply Chain Management KPIs: Metrics Inventory Performance

4.5

(276)

Key Performance Indicators: Measure & Improve the Performance of your Supply Chain and Inventory Operations Management...

18. Supply Chain: Inventory Control & Safety Stock Calculation

4.5

(3,199)

Reduce Operational Cost by Optimizing in Inventory Levels...

19. Verilog HDL: VLSI Hardware Design Comprehensive Masterclass

4.3

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20. IT Support Technical Skills Helpdesk

4.7

(1,561)

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

Top 10 most affordable universities for hardware managers

The most affordable schools for hardware managers are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for hardware 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 hardware managers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hardware managers

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

Some great schools for hardware 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 hardware 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for hardware managers

The easiest schools for hardware managers to get into are Capitol Technology University, oregon institute of technology, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hardware 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 hardware managers.

1. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

2. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

8. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

Average hardware manager salary by education level

According to our data, hardware managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $153,208 annually. Hardware managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $136,910.

Hardware manager education level	Hardware manager salary
Master's Degree	$153,208
Bachelor's Degree	$136,910

Hardware manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Hardware Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

Search for hardware manager jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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