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Leadership development program manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a leadership development program manager. Leadership development program managers usually study business, psychology, or education. 69% of leadership development program managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 509 real leadership development program manager resumes to see exactly what leadership development program manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for leadership development program managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain leadership development program manager certifications that you should consider. These leadership development program manager certifications include Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).

What education do you need to become a leadership development program manager?

What degree do you need to be a leadership development program manager?

The most common degree for leadership development program managers is bachelor's degree, with 69% of leadership development program managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 25% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 69%
  • Master's, 25%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Doctorate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a leadership development program manager?

You should major in business to become a leadership development program manager. 25% of leadership development program managers major in business. Other common majors for a leadership development program manager include psychology and education.

Most common colleges for leadership development program managers

Leadership development program managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Northern Illinois University, and Michigan State University. Here are the most common colleges for leadership development program managers in the US based on their resumes.
Leadership development program manager common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix8.70%
Northern Illinois University7.61%
Michigan State University7.61%
Arizona State University6.52%
Pennsylvania State University6.52%

Best majors for leadership development program managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business24.7%
2Psychology11.0%
3Education6.7%
4Communication6.3%
5Political Science6.0%

Best colleges for leadership development program managers

The best colleges for leadership development program managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A leadership development program 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 leadership development program 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 leadership development program 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

20 best online courses for leadership development program managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for leadership development program managers

The most affordable schools for leadership development program managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for leadership development program 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 leadership development program 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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for leadership development program managers

The hardest universities for leadership development program managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for leadership development program 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 leadership development program 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

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for leadership development program managers

The easiest schools for leadership development program managers to get into are Barry University, wayland baptist university, and holy names university.

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average leadership development program manager salary by education level

According to our data, leadership development program managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $72,065 annually. Leadership development program managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $72,044.
Leadership development program manager education levelLeadership development program manager salary
Master's Degree$72,065
High School Diploma or Less$59,046
Bachelor's Degree$72,044
Some College/ Associate Degree$64,672

Leadership development program 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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