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Management associate education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a management associate. Management associates usually study business, finance, or marketing. 69% of management associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 8,913 real management associate resumes to see exactly what management associate education sections show.

The most common colleges for management associates are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online management associate courses to help get the education required to be a management associate.

There are certain management associate certifications that you should consider. These management associate certifications include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI).

What education do you need to become a management associate?

What degree do you need to be a management associate?

The most common degree for management associates is bachelor's degree, with 69% of management associates earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 69%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a management associate?

You should major in business to become a management associate. 29% of management associates major in business. Other common majors for a management associate include finance and marketing.

Most common colleges for management associates

Management associates often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and Cornell University. Here are the most common colleges for management associates in the US based on their resumes.
Management associate common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix9.78%
New York University8.56%
Cornell University5.75%
Ohio State University5.38%
Michigan State University5.13%

Best majors for management associates

RankMajorPercentages
1Business28.6%
2Finance13.1%
3Marketing6.1%
4Accounting5.8%
5Economics5.8%

Best colleges for management associates

The best colleges for management associates are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

A management associate with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for management associates. 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 management associates.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

20 best online courses for management associates

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Top 10 most affordable universities for management associates

The most affordable schools for management associates are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for management associates 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 management associates.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for management associates

The hardest universities for management associates to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for management associates 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 management associates 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for management associates

The easiest schools for management associates to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a management associate 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 management associates.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average management associate salary by education level

Management associates with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $115,091 annually. With a Master's degree, management associates earn a median annual income of $107,535 compared to $93,428 for management associates with an Bachelor's degree.
Management associate education levelManagement associate salary
Master's Degree$107,535
High School Diploma or Less$69,635
Bachelor's Degree$93,428
Doctorate Degree$115,091
Some College/ Associate Degree$74,031

Management associate 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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