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Product planner education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a product planner. Product planners usually study business, marketing, or electrical engineering. 76% of product planners hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 909 real product planner resumes to see exactly what product planner education sections show.
The most common colleges for product planners are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online product planner courses to help get the education required to be a product planner.
There are certain product planner certifications that you should consider. These product planner certifications include Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) and Certified Manager Certification (CM).
What education do you need to become a product planner?
What degree do you need to be a product planner?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 9%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a product planner?
- Business, 37%
- Marketing, 11%
- Management, 5%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for product planners
| Product planner common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 13.87% |
| University of Washington | 8.03% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 7.30% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 6.57% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 5.84% |
Best majors for product planners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 37.0% |
| 2 | Marketing | 10.8% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 6.7% |
| 4 | Management | 4.9% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 4.5% |
Best colleges for product planners
The best colleges for product planners are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston College.
A product planner 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 planners. 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 planners.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. Cedar Crest College
Allentown, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$39,216
Enrollment
1,303
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
20 best online courses for product planners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for product planners
The most affordable schools for product planners are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.
If the best universities for product planners 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 planners.
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for product planners
The hardest universities for product planners to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston College.
Some great schools for product planners 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 planners 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. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for product planners
The easiest schools for product planners to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a product planner 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 planners.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
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. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
9. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
10. Manor College
Jenkintown, PA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
898
Average product planner salary by education level
| Product planner education level | Product planner salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $116,777 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $91,802 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $103,763 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $95,767 |
Product planner education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025