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Online product manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an online product manager. Online product managers usually study business, marketing, or communication. 81% of online product managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 228 real online product manager resumes to see exactly what online product manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for online product managers are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

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

What education do you need to become an online product manager?

What degree do you need to be an online product manager?

The most common degree for online product managers is bachelor's degree, with 81% of online product managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 81%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Doctorate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become an online product manager?

You should major in business to become an online product manager. 19% of online product managers major in business. Other common majors for an online product manager include marketing and communication.

Most common colleges for online product managers

Online product managers often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, University of Illinois at Chicago, and San Diego State University. Here are the most common colleges for online product managers in the US based on their resumes.
Online product manager common collegePercentages
University of California - Davis12.50%
University of Illinois at Chicago6.25%
San Diego State University6.25%
University of Texas at Austin6.25%
Colorado State University6.25%

Best majors for online product managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business18.8%
2Marketing15.9%
3Communication8.7%
4Computer Science6.5%
5English5.8%

Best colleges for online product managers

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

An online product 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 online product 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 online product managers.

1. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

2. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

5. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for online product managers

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Case-based practical course on product management to build strong foundations in product concepts, process & frameworks...

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Be a Product Marketing Manager - Product Management : Product Manager MBA : Product to Market : Product Owner Launch GTM...

7. Product Manager

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Envision and lead the product strategy of industry-defining products, and learn to successfully bring them to market. Influence the execution of product development as a Product Manager, one of the most highly-coveted roles in technology...

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Leverage data to build products that deliver the right experiences, to the right users, at the right time. Lead the development of data-driven products that position businesses to win in their market...

9. Product Management Crash Course; IT Product Management

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14. Product Management 101

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Learn to become a more strategic product manager - and have a greater impact on your company and your products...

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17. Product Management+Agile Requirements using Product Backlog

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18. Product Marketing Launch Plan: Product GTM with Dekker, MBA

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Product Management Marketing Strategy, Marketing Plan, Product Marketing Manager, Product Manager Marketing Plan...

19. Growth Product Manager

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Hone specialized Product Management skills in growth strategy. Lead experimentation and data-driven decision-making in your organization to drive products to reach the next level of scale, impact, and profitability...

20. Product Strategy

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Learn how to build a bullet-proof vision & strategy for any digital product idea. By the end of this course, you’ll know how to identify the right problems to solve, map out business models for capturing revenue, and successfully pitch your strategy to stakeholders...

Top 10 most affordable universities for online product managers

The most affordable schools for online product managers are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and fashion institute of technology.

If the best universities for online product 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 online product managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for online product managers

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

Some great schools for online product 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 online product 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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

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

The easiest schools for online product managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and gwynedd mercy university.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average online product manager salary by education level

According to our data, online product managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $138,290 annually. Online product managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $130,688.
Online product manager education levelOnline product manager salary
Master's Degree$130,688
Bachelor's Degree$111,353
Doctorate Degree$138,290

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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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