Industrial relations manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an industrial relations manager. Industrial relations managers usually study business, human resources management, or management. 73% of industrial relations managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 259 real industrial relations manager resumes to see exactly what industrial relations manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for industrial relations managers are the The University of Alabama and the The University of Alabama.

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

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

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

The most common degree for industrial relations managers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of industrial relations 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 7%.

Bachelor's, 73%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 7%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 3%

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

You should major in business to become an industrial relations manager. 23% of industrial relations managers major in business. Other common majors for an industrial relations manager include human resources management and management.

Business, 23%

Human Resources Management, 12%

Management, 9%

Psychology, 9%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for industrial relations managers

Industrial relations managers often get their degrees at The University of Alabama, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, and Western Michigan University. Here are the most common colleges for industrial relations managers in the US based on their resumes.

Industrial relations manager common college	Percentages
The University of Alabama	9.62%
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	9.62%
Western Michigan University	5.77%
University of California, Berkeley	5.77%
University of Southern California	5.77%

Show more common industrial relations manager colleges

Best majors for industrial relations managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	23.2%
2	Human Resources Management	12.2%
3	Management	9.1%
4	Psychology	8.5%
5	Marketing	6.7%

Show more common industrial relations manager majors

Best colleges for industrial relations managers

The best colleges for industrial relations managers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

An industrial relations 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 relations 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 relations managers.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

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. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

10. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

20 best online courses for industrial relations managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for industrial relations managers

The most affordable schools for industrial relations managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.

If the best universities for industrial relations 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 relations 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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for industrial relations managers

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

Some great schools for industrial relations 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 relations 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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

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

The easiest schools for industrial relations managers to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an industrial relations 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 relations 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. 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. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

9. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average industrial relations manager salary by education level

According to our data, industrial relations managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $100,251 annually. Industrial relations managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $96,149.

Industrial relations manager education level	Industrial relations manager salary
Master's Degree	$96,149
Bachelor's Degree	$85,593
Doctorate Degree	$100,251
Some College/ Associate Degree	$71,681

Industrial relations manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Industrial Relations 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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