Industrial production manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an industrial production manager. Industrial production managers usually study business, industrial engineering, or general studies. 48% of industrial production managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 140 real industrial production manager resumes to see exactly what industrial production manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for industrial production managers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

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

What education do you need to become an industrial production manager?

What degree do you need to be an industrial production manager?

The most common degree for industrial production managers is bachelor's degree, with 48% of industrial production managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 15%.

Bachelor's, 48%

Associate, 16%

High School Diploma, 15%

Master's, 8%

Other Degrees, 13%

What should I major in to become an industrial production manager?

You should major in business to become an industrial production manager. 25% of industrial production managers major in business. Other common majors for an industrial production manager include industrial engineering and general studies.

Business, 25%

Industrial Engineering, 11%

General Studies, 9%

Graphic Design, 7%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for industrial production managers

Industrial production managers often get their degrees at Purdue University, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, and Brigham Young University. Here are the most common colleges for industrial production managers in the US based on their resumes.

Industrial production manager common college	Percentages
Purdue University	8.33%
University of Nebraska - Lincoln	8.33%
Brigham Young University	8.33%
University of Nebraska - Kearney	8.33%
University of Southern Maine	4.17%

Show more common industrial production manager colleges

Best majors for industrial production managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	25.0%
2	Industrial Engineering	11.4%
3	General Studies	9.1%
4	Graphic Design	6.8%
5	Industrial Technology	6.8%

Show more common industrial production manager majors

Best colleges for industrial production managers

The best colleges for industrial production managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

An industrial production 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 industrial production 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 industrial production managers.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

7. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

8. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

20 best online courses for industrial production managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for industrial production managers

The most affordable schools for industrial production managers are University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez, suny farmingdale, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for industrial production 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 industrial production managers.

1. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for industrial production managers

The hardest universities for industrial production managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for industrial production 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 industrial production 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

10. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for industrial production managers

The easiest schools for industrial production managers to get into are D'Youville College, university of the incarnate word, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average industrial production manager salary by education level

According to our data, industrial production managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $134,287 annually. Industrial production managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $116,518.

Industrial production manager education level	Industrial production manager salary
Master's Degree	$134,287
High School Diploma or Less	$93,961
Bachelor's Degree	$116,518
Some College/ Associate Degree	$101,234

Industrial production manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Industrial Production Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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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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