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Movie theater manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a movie theater manager. Movie theater managers usually study business, photography, or mathematics. 33% of movie theater managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 170 real movie theater manager resumes to see exactly what movie theater manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for movie theater managers are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

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

What education do you need to become a movie theater manager?

What degree do you need to be a movie theater manager?

The most common degree for movie theater managers is bachelor's degree, with 33% of movie theater managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 27% and high school diploma degree at 23%.
  • Bachelor's, 33%
  • High School Diploma, 27%
  • Associate, 23%
  • Master's, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a movie theater manager?

You should major in business to become a movie theater manager. 21% of movie theater managers major in business. Other common majors for a movie theater manager include photography and mathematics.

Most common colleges for movie theater managers

Movie theater managers often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, Argosy University, and William Carey University. Here are the most common colleges for movie theater managers in the US based on their resumes.
Movie theater manager common collegePercentages
Pennsylvania State University9.09%
Argosy University9.09%
William Carey University4.55%
University of Houston4.55%
University of North Texas4.55%

Best majors for movie theater managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business20.8%
2Photography8.3%
3Mathematics6.3%
4Writing6.3%
5Criminal Justice6.3%

Best colleges for movie theater managers

The best colleges for movie theater managers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A movie theater 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 movie theater 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 movie theater managers.

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. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

20 best online courses for movie theater managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for movie theater managers

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

If the best universities for movie theater 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 movie theater managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

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. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

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 movie theater managers

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

Some great schools for movie theater 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 movie theater 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. 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

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

The easiest schools for movie theater managers 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 movie theater 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 movie theater 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. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average movie theater manager salary by education level

Movie theater managers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $73,407 annually. With a Doctorate degree, movie theater managers earn a median annual income of $69,085 compared to $57,689 for movie theater managers with an Bachelor's degree.
Movie theater manager education levelMovie theater manager salary
Master's Degree$73,407
High School Diploma or Less$41,521
Bachelor's Degree$57,689
Doctorate Degree$69,085
Some College/ Associate Degree$43,608

Movie theater 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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