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Manufacturing manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a manufacturing manager. Manufacturing managers usually study business, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering. 67% of manufacturing managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 12,615 real manufacturing manager resumes to see exactly what manufacturing manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for manufacturing managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online manufacturing manager courses to help get the education required to be a manufacturing manager.
There are certain manufacturing manager certifications that you should consider. These manufacturing manager certifications include Six Sigma Green Belt and Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Lean Manufacturing.
What education do you need to become a manufacturing manager?
What degree do you need to be a manufacturing manager?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 12%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a manufacturing manager?
- Business, 35%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for manufacturing managers
| Manufacturing manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 18.73% |
| Purdue University | 11.07% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.63% |
| Northeastern University | 5.63% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 4.89% |
Best majors for manufacturing managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 35.2% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 9.4% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 6.6% |
| 4 | Industrial Engineering | 6.0% |
| 5 | Management | 5.9% |
Best colleges for manufacturing managers
The best colleges for manufacturing managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
A 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 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 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 manufacturing managers
Advertising disclosure
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5. Productivity and Time Management Masterclass
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Know the Work that is Involved in Getting a Product Onto the Shelf and a Service Ready for Effective Delivery...
8. Comprehensive Product management for Product managers
Become a great product manager with comprehensive product management Real world case study with JIRA & Confluence...
9. Operations Management: Supply Chains, Products and Services
Master Supply Chain Management and Product and Service Development in Manufacturing and Service Organizations...
10. Productivity Machine: Time Management & Productivity Hacks
Productivity & Time Management Strategies for Goal Setting, Eliminating Distractions, & Building Habits for Success...
11. Inventory Management A-Z: Supply Chain & Business Operations
Inventory Management Basics: MBA beginners course to your optimize your Purchasing, Logistics, EOQ and Safety Stock...
12. Smart Tips: Time Management & Productivity
Master time management and equip yourself with tools and strategies to be highly productive at work and home...
13. Manufacturing Operations - Planning, Management and Control
Cutting-Edge Production Management Methods That Will Help You Outperform the Competition...
14. Product Management Fundamentals
Case-based practical course on product management to build strong foundations in product concepts, process & frameworks...
15. Time Management & Personal Productivity Essentials
Boost your productivity. Learn how to prioritise, organize and focus your efforts to maximise your personal success...
16. Product Design Management for Agile Practitioners
Application of product design management principles, concepts, tools and techniques in agile product management...
17. Inventory Management: Safety Stock Calculation and Control
Optimize your Supply Chain Safety Stock. Simple to Advanced Methods. Reduce Costs and Risk in your Business Operations...
18. Smart Tips: Product Management
Find impact, innovation, and success as a product manager...
19. Great Product Manager: Product Management by a Big Tech's PM
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20. Product Management 101
Learn to become a more strategic product manager - and have a greater impact on your company and your products...
Top 10 most affordable universities for manufacturing managers
The most affordable schools for manufacturing managers are University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez, suny farmingdale, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for 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 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 manufacturing managers
The hardest universities for manufacturing managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for 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 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
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
4%
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
5%
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 manufacturing managers
The easiest schools for 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 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 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 manufacturing manager salary by education level
| Manufacturing manager education level | Manufacturing manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $129,084 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $91,050 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $112,362 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $97,933 |
Manufacturing manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025