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Professional development manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a professional development manager. Professional development managers usually study business, psychology, or education. 67% of professional development managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 823 real professional development manager resumes to see exactly what professional development manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for professional development managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online professional development manager courses to help get the education required to be a professional development manager.
There are certain professional development manager certifications that you should consider. These professional development manager certifications include Certified Manager Certification (CM) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become a professional development manager?
What degree do you need to be a professional development manager?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 9%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a professional development manager?
- Business, 23%
- Psychology, 10%
- Education, 7%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for professional development managers
| Professional development manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.32% |
| American University | 7.55% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.55% |
| Northern Illinois University | 6.60% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 5.66% |
Best majors for professional development managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 23.2% |
| 2 | Psychology | 10.4% |
| 3 | Education | 7.3% |
| 4 | Political Science | 6.8% |
| 5 | Communication | 6.8% |
Best colleges for professional development managers
The best colleges for professional development managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A professional development 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 professional development 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 professional development managers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
20 best online courses for professional development managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for professional development managers
The most affordable schools for professional development managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for professional development 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 professional development 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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for professional development managers
The hardest universities for professional development managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for professional development 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 professional development 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for professional development managers
The easiest schools for professional development managers to get into are Barry University, wayland baptist university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a professional development 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 professional development managers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
Average professional development manager salary by education level
| Professional development manager education level | Professional development manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $107,020 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $88,217 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $106,990 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $96,355 |
Professional development manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025