Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Owner/manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an owner/manager. Owner/managers usually study business, accounting, or psychology. 53% of owner/managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 85,699 real owner/manager resumes to see exactly what owner/manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for owner/managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online owner/manager courses to help get the education required to be an owner/manager.
There are certain owner/manager certifications that you should consider. These owner/manager certifications include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).
What education do you need to become an owner/manager?
What degree do you need to be an owner/manager?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Associate, 20%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become an owner/manager?
- Business, 37%
- Accounting, 7%
- Psychology, 5%
- Management, 5%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for owner/managers
| Owner/manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 20.85% |
| Ohio State University | 5.29% |
| Arizona State University | 5.11% |
| Michigan State University | 4.81% |
| Florida State University | 4.66% |
Best majors for owner/managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 37.5% |
| 2 | Accounting | 6.9% |
| 3 | Psychology | 4.7% |
| 4 | Management | 4.6% |
| 5 | Marketing | 4.6% |
Best colleges for owner/managers
The best colleges for owner/managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
An owner/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 owner/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 owner/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 owner/managers
Advertising disclosure
1. Operational Risks Management ORM
Operational Risks Management ORM Case Studies for Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, IS Security, Banking Professionals...
2. Supply Chain Management A-Z: Operations & Logistics Basics
Supply Chain Management Basics: An MBA style course to boost your career as a business operations & logistics manager...
3. SAP Customer Service (CS/SM) - Service Management module
Real World SAP CS and SD, Repair Orders, Service Orders, Service Contracts...
4. Customer Service: 6 Keys To Exceptional Customer Service
Master Customer Satisfaction & Astonish Your Customers With A+ Customer Service...
5. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives
Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...
6. Customer Service Training: Dealing with Difficult Customers
Learn how to deal with difficult customers Master customer relationship management Gain conflict management skills...
7. Customer Service
How to Approach New Customers and Maintain Existing Ones...
8. Customer Experience Management (CX): MASTERCLASS 2023
#1 Customer Experience Management Course. Discover The Art Of A Client-Centric Culture. Customer Journey. B2B. B2C...
9. Outstanding Customer Service - The Ultimate Guide!
Unlocking the Powerful Secrets of OUTSTANDING Customer Service - Transform Your Business!...
10. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service
Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...
11. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience
Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...
12. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...
13. Business Communication Skills: Handling Clients & Customers
Soft Skills Training Social Skills Business Etiquette Business English Customer Service Training...
14. Practical Project Management for Management Consultants
How to manage successfully a consulting project - a practical guide for Project Managers...
15. Customer Success Manager: Fundamentals to your CSM career
The foundations to become a great Customer Success Manager in a tech company. A very well paid profession on the rise...
16. Project Management: Master Project Management - PMP/PMI
Master Project Management using this practical certification course...
17. Laravel 9 - Build Complete Inventory Management System A-Z
In This Course, You Will Build Two Different Projects With Laravel 9 including Inventory Management System A-Z...
18. Brilliant Customer Service: How to Impress your Customers!
Enhance your customer support and truly differentiate yourself from your competition!...
19. Business Fundamentals: Management and HR Management
Management and HR Management Fundamentals: Become a more effective leader and supercharge your business for success...
20. Project Management - Complete Guide For A+ Project Managers
Complete guide to project management - stakeholders, planning, cost, quality, risks, feasibility, methods & resourcing...
Top 10 most affordable universities for owner/managers
The most affordable schools for owner/managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.
If the best universities for owner/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 owner/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 owner/managers
The hardest universities for owner/managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for owner/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 owner/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. 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 owner/managers
The easiest schools for owner/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 an owner/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 owner/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 owner/manager salary by education level
| Owner/manager education level | Owner/manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $104,921 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $67,265 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $86,940 |
| Doctorate Degree | $100,069 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $69,889 |
Owner/manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for owner/manager jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025