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Product brand manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a product brand manager. Product brand managers usually study business, marketing, or communication. 77% of product brand managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 533 real product brand manager resumes to see exactly what product brand manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for product brand managers are the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

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

What education do you need to become a product brand manager?

What degree do you need to be a product brand manager?

The most common degree for product brand managers is bachelor's degree, with 77% of product brand managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 3%.
  • Bachelor's, 77%
  • Master's, 16%
  • Associate, 3%
  • High School Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a product brand manager?

You should major in business to become a product brand manager. 27% of product brand managers major in business. Other common majors for a product brand manager include marketing and communication.

Most common colleges for product brand managers

Product brand managers often get their degrees at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, Indiana University Bloomington, and Purdue University. Here are the most common colleges for product brand managers in the US based on their resumes.
Product brand manager common collegePercentages
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point7.89%
Indiana University Bloomington6.58%
Purdue University6.58%
Thunderbird School of Global Management5.26%
New York University5.26%

Best majors for product brand managers

Best colleges for product brand managers

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

A product brand 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 product brand 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 product brand 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. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

20 best online courses for product brand managers

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1. Product Management (Part Time)

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3. Predictive Analytics for Business

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Learn to apply predictive analytics and business intelligence to solve real-world business problems...

4. Marketing Analytics

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Gain an in-depth understanding of Google Analytics and marketing analytics. Analyze data and build models with Excel, Data Studio, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...

5. Brand and Product Management

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The main objective is identify the critical information needed to develop a product and brand strategy that generates both quick wins and long-term value. Along this course, you will learn brand and product strategy key concepts such as product lifecycle, product demand estimation, product and brand development and launching, product pipeline, competitors analysis, brand essence and identity, brand architecture, brand equity, brand portfolio, customer experience journey, purchase funnel, key...

6. Product Management Marketing: Dekker's Product Marketing MBA

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

7. 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...

8. 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...

9. Data Product Manager

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10. Product Management Crash Course; IT Product Management

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Product Management Essentials & Product Management Fundamentals to kick-start your career in Product Management...

11. Product and Service Management

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Know the Work that is Involved in Getting a Product Onto the Shelf and a Service Ready for Effective Delivery...

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13. AI for Business Leaders

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14. Comprehensive Product management for Product managers

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Become a great product manager with comprehensive product management Real world case study with JIRA & Confluence...

15. Smart Tips: Product Management

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Find impact, innovation, and success as a product manager...

16. Business Analytics

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In this program, you will learn foundational data skills that apply across functions and industries. You will learn to analyze data and build models with Excel, query databases using SQL, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...

17. AI Product Manager

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Learn to develop AI products that deliver business value. Build skills that help you compete in the new AI-powered world...

18. Product Management Fundamentals

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4.4
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Case-based practical course on product management to build strong foundations in product concepts, process & frameworks...

19. Product Management 101

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4.6
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Learn to become a more strategic product manager - and have a greater impact on your company and your products...

20. 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...

Top 10 most affordable universities for product brand managers

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

If the best universities for product brand 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 product brand managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

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. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

9. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for product brand managers

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

Some great schools for product brand 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 product brand 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. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

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 product brand managers

The easiest schools for product brand managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a product brand 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 product brand 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. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

9. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average product brand manager salary by education level

Product brand managers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $140,289 annually. With a Master's degree, product brand managers earn a median annual income of $135,512 compared to $122,848 for product brand managers with an Bachelor's degree.
Product brand manager education levelProduct brand manager salary
Master's Degree$135,512
Bachelor's Degree$122,848
Doctorate Degree$140,289

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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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