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Information technology operations manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an information technology operations manager. Information technology operations managers usually study business, computer science, or information technology. 64% of information technology operations managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,036 real information technology operations manager resumes to see exactly what information technology operations manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for information technology operations managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online information technology operations manager courses to help get the education required to be an information technology operations manager.

There are certain information technology operations manager certifications that you should consider. These information technology operations manager certifications include IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) and Project Management Professional (PMP).

What education do you need to become an information technology operations manager?

What degree do you need to be an information technology operations manager?

The most common degree for information technology operations managers is bachelor's degree, with 64% of information technology operations managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 64%
  • Associate, 17%
  • Master's, 14%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an information technology operations manager?

You should major in business to become an information technology operations manager. 23% of information technology operations managers major in business. Other common majors for an information technology operations manager include computer science and information technology.

Most common colleges for information technology operations managers

Information technology operations managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for information technology operations managers in the US based on their resumes.
Information technology operations manager common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix28.61%
DeVry University7.21%
University of Maryland - College Park6.49%
Northeastern University4.81%
San Jose State University4.57%

Best majors for information technology operations managers

Best colleges for information technology operations managers

The best colleges for information technology operations managers are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

An information technology operations 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 information technology operations 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 information technology operations 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 information technology operations managers

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14. Risk Management for Cybersecurity and IT Managers

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Operations Management Training Program (Course 8 of 8)...

17. ISO/IEC 27005:2022. Information security risk management

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20. Operations Management in small businesses: key techniques

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A toolkit for making small business operations effective and efficient...

Top 10 most affordable universities for information technology operations managers

The most affordable schools for information technology operations 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 information technology operations 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 information technology operations 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 information technology operations managers

The hardest universities for information technology operations managers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for information technology operations 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 information technology operations 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 information technology operations managers

The easiest schools for information technology operations 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 an information technology operations 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 information technology operations 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 information technology operations manager salary by education level

Information technology operations managers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $126,506 annually. With a Master's degree, information technology operations managers earn a median annual income of $124,363 compared to $117,829 for information technology operations managers with an Bachelor's degree.
Information technology operations manager education levelInformation technology operations manager salary
Master's Degree$124,363
Bachelor's Degree$117,829
Doctorate Degree$126,506
Some College/ Associate Degree$101,378

Information technology operations manager education FAQs

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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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