Lean manufacturing manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a lean manufacturing manager. Lean manufacturing managers usually study business, mechanical engineering, or industrial engineering. 69% of lean manufacturing managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 847 real lean manufacturing manager resumes to see exactly what lean manufacturing manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for lean manufacturing managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online lean manufacturing manager courses to help get the education required to be a lean manufacturing manager.

There are certain lean manufacturing manager certifications that you should consider. These lean manufacturing manager certifications include Six Sigma Black Belt and Six Sigma Green Belt.

What education do you need to become a lean manufacturing manager?

What degree do you need to be a lean manufacturing manager?

The most common degree for lean manufacturing managers is bachelor's degree, with 69% of lean manufacturing managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 69%

Master's, 19%

Associate, 9%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a lean manufacturing manager?

You should major in business to become a lean manufacturing manager. 29% of lean manufacturing managers major in business. Other common majors for a lean manufacturing manager include mechanical engineering and industrial engineering.

Business, 29%

Mechanical Engineering, 14%

Industrial Engineering, 14%

Industrial Technology, 7%

Other Majors, 36%

Most common colleges for lean manufacturing managers

Lean manufacturing managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Purdue University, and Michigan State University. Here are the most common colleges for lean manufacturing managers in the US based on their resumes.

Lean manufacturing manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	15.15%
Purdue University	9.09%
Michigan State University	7.58%
Villanova University	5.30%
Mississippi State University	5.30%

Show more common lean manufacturing manager colleges

Best majors for lean manufacturing managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	29.2%
2	Mechanical Engineering	13.9%
3	Industrial Engineering	13.9%
4	Industrial Technology	6.6%
5	Electrical Engineering	5.1%

Show more common lean manufacturing manager majors

Best colleges for lean manufacturing managers

The best colleges for lean manufacturing managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

A lean manufacturing 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 lean manufacturing 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 lean manufacturing 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 lean manufacturing managers

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Lean Management Certification, Lean And Six Sigma For All Sectors, Including Manufacturing, 150k Certified, Earn Credits...

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8. Lean Leadership Skills, Lean Culture & Lean Management

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9. Essential Lean Manufacturing for Management Consultants

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Become ASCB certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Practitioner+143 Lectures/Project Execution Tool Kit (33 Templates)...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for lean manufacturing managers

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

If the best universities for lean manufacturing 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 lean manufacturing 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 lean manufacturing managers

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

Some great schools for lean manufacturing 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 lean manufacturing 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 lean manufacturing managers

The easiest schools for lean manufacturing 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 a lean manufacturing 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 lean manufacturing 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 lean manufacturing manager salary by education level

According to our data, lean manufacturing managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $136,589 annually. Lean manufacturing managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $117,885.

Lean manufacturing manager education level	Lean manufacturing manager salary
Master's Degree	$136,589
High School Diploma or Less	$94,297
Bachelor's Degree	$117,885
Some College/ Associate Degree	$101,881

Lean manufacturing manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Lean Manufacturing 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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