Manager education requirements

Q: How hard is it to get into Harvard Business School?

It is very difficult to get into Harvard Business School (HBS). In 2020, Harvard received 9,304 applications for its full-time MBA program and extended admission to 859 candidates. That is an acceptance rate of only 9%.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a manager. Managers usually study business, accounting, or psychology. 49% of managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 652,606 real manager resumes to see exactly what manager education sections show.

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

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

There are certain manager certifications that you should consider. These manager certifications include Food Safety Manager Certification and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

What education do you need to become a manager?

What degree do you need to be a manager?

The most common degree for managers is bachelor's degree, with 49% of managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 17%.

Bachelor's, 49%

Associate, 18%

High School Diploma, 17%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a manager?

You should major in business to become a manager. 31% of managers major in business. Other common majors for a manager include accounting and psychology.

Business, 31%

Accounting, 7%

Psychology, 6%

Criminal Justice, 5%

Other Majors, 51%

Most common colleges for managers

Managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for managers in the US based on their resumes.

Manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	20.76%
Pennsylvania State University	6.06%
University of Maryland - College Park	4.93%
Ohio State University	4.90%
University of Houston	4.59%

Show more common manager colleges

Best majors for managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	31.3%
2	Accounting	6.8%
3	Psychology	6.0%
4	Criminal Justice	5.1%
5	General Studies	4.7%

Show more common manager majors

Best colleges for managers

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

A 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 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 managers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

20 best online courses for managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for managers

The most affordable schools for managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for 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 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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for managers

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

Some great schools for 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 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for managers

The easiest schools for managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

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 the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average manager salary by education level

According to our data, managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $77,379 annually. Managers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $74,316.

Manager education level	Manager salary
Master's Degree	$77,379
High School Diploma or Less	$52,956
Bachelor's Degree	$65,914
Doctorate Degree	$74,316
Some College/ Associate Degree	$54,713

Manager education FAQs

How hard is it to get into Harvard Business School?

What is the best college for 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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