Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Information technology project lead education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an information technology project lead. Information technology project leads usually study computer science, business, or computer information systems. 67% of information technology project leads hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,635 real information technology project lead resumes to see exactly what information technology project lead education sections show.
The most common colleges for information technology project leads are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online information technology project lead courses to help get the education required to be an information technology project lead.
There are certain information technology project lead certifications that you should consider. These information technology project lead certifications include IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become an information technology project lead?
What degree do you need to be an information technology project lead?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 11%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an information technology project lead?
- Computer Science, 21%
- Business, 21%
- Other Majors, 44%
Most common colleges for information technology project leads
| Information technology project lead common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.38% |
| DeVry University | 8.22% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.85% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.16% |
| Northeastern University | 5.48% |
Best majors for information technology project leads
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Science | 21.4% |
| 2 | Business | 21.2% |
| 3 | Computer Information Systems | 8.2% |
| 4 | Information Technology | 6.3% |
| 5 | Management Information Systems | 6.2% |
Best colleges for information technology project leads
The best colleges for information technology project leads are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
An information technology project lead 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 project leads. 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 project leads.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,530
Enrollment
4,571
20 best online courses for information technology project leads
Advertising disclosure
1. Information Systems Auditing, Controls and Assurance
The course is awarded The Best Free Online Courses of All Time, and Best Online Courses of the Year (2021 Edition) by Class Central (http://www.classcentral.com). --- Information systems (IS) are important assets to business organizations and are ubiquitous in our daily lives. With the latest IS technologies emerging, such as Big Data, FinTech, Virtual Banks, there are more concerns from the public on how organizations maintain systems’ integrity, such as data privacy, information security, the...
2. Information Technology Essentials
Introduction to Information Technology and Information Systems...
3. Active Directory on Windows Server
Learn how to deploy and manage all aspects of Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS and many more technologies...
4. Technology Systems Auditing (Part 1 of 2)
Technology Systems Auditing Training Course...
5. The Absolute Beginners Guide to Information Technology 2023
Gain a solid foundation knowledge of all 4 main branches of Information Technology...
6. Beginner's Guide to Information Technology
Learn the basics of Information Technology and Computer Engineering...
7. Practical Aspects of Information System Audit (For Beginner)
Practical Aspects of Information System Audit (For Beginners)...
8. Business Analyst: Software Testing Processes & Techniques
Reduce project bugs with repeatable testing processes. Learn to create test cases, scenarios, track defects, & more!...
9. Complete Microsoft Project Training & Certification
Microsoft Project Professional - Project Management Software...
10. Data Warehouse Development Process
Specific aspects of Data Warehouse Development Process...
11. Project Management: Simple Software Project Management
Project Management for NEW Project Managers - knowledge, tools, techniques, skills, checklists, guidelines, pitfalls...
12. Information Security Management Fundamentals for Non-Techies
Learn the Fundamentals of Information Security Management for Non-Techies...
13. Software Project Management - The complete course
Project management in software development in traditional and agile projects...
14. Software Testing Made Easy for Beginners (Project,Jira,API )
Includes a live project with complete documentation for Testing Artifacts like Test Plans, Scenarios and Cases etc...
15. Project Charter Specialist (Accredited) Project Management
What is Project Charter? Components? Template? Example? Document Project Charter? Project Charter Specialist Earn PDUs...
16. Certificate Program In Management Information Systems
Learn about the exciting world of Management Information Systems and its impact on the way organisations now function...
17. Business Analyst: Project Management Techniques and Tools
Learn project management techniques to increase your project success rate as a Business Analyst!...
18. Beginning Project Management: Project Management Level One
Project Management: Growing a Successful Career as a Project Manager...
19. Project Management Essentials
A crash course in the essentials of project management for new project managers...
20. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery
Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...
Top 10 most affordable universities for information technology project leads
The most affordable schools for information technology project leads are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for information technology project leads 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 project leads.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
10. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for information technology project leads
The hardest universities for information technology project leads to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for information technology project leads 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 project leads 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,415
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for information technology project leads
The easiest schools for information technology project leads to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and nyack college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an information technology project lead 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 project leads.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
4. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
10. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
Average information technology project lead salary by education level
| Information technology project lead education level | Information technology project lead salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $118,286 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $107,449 |
| Doctorate Degree | $117,310 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $91,925 |
Information technology project lead education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
Search for information technology project lead jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025