Program manager/project leader education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a program manager/project leader. Program managers/project leader usually study business, computer science, or electrical engineering. 66% of program managers/project leader hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 287 real program manager/project leader resumes to see exactly what program manager/project leader education sections show.

The most common colleges for program managers/project leader are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online program manager/project leader courses to help get the education required to be a program manager/project leader.

There are certain program manager/project leader certifications that you should consider. These program manager/project leader certifications include IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) and Project Management Professional (PMP).

What education do you need to become a program manager/project leader?

What degree do you need to be a program manager/project leader?

The most common degree for program managers/project leader is bachelor's degree, with 66% of program managers/project leader earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 66%

Master's, 20%

Associate, 10%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a program manager/project leader?

You should major in business to become a program manager/project leader. 17% of program managers/project leader major in business. Other common majors for a program manager/project leader include computer science and electrical engineering.

Business, 17%

Computer Science, 16%

Electrical Engineering, 8%

Management, 7%

Other Majors, 52%

Most common colleges for program managers/project leader

Program managers/project leader often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Oregon Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University. Here are the most common colleges for program managers/project leader in the US based on their resumes.

Program manager/project leader common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	12.24%
Oregon Institute of Technology	6.12%
Johns Hopkins University	6.12%
University of Texas at Austin	6.12%
University of Maine	6.12%

Show more common program manager/project leader colleges

Best majors for program managers/project leader

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	16.9%
2	Computer Science	16.4%
3	Electrical Engineering	7.9%
4	Management	6.8%
5	Project Management	6.8%

Show more common program manager/project leader majors

Best colleges for program managers/project leader

The best colleges for program managers/project leader are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A program manager/project leader with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for program managers/project leader. 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 program managers/project leader.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

20 best online courses for program managers/project leader

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3. Project Management: Simple Software Project Management

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Project Management for NEW Project Managers - knowledge, tools, techniques, skills, checklists, guidelines, pitfalls...

4. IT Project Budget & Cost Management

4.4

(290)

Project Management tips to manage a million dollar IT Project budget from start to finish...

5. Project Management Essentials

4.5

(15,814)

A crash course in the essentials of project management for new project managers...

6. Project Management Professional Certification Program (PMP)

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(2,380)

Your Guide to the Gold Standard of Project Management Certifications (PMI-PMP) (PMBOK7 updated) (40 PDUs minimum)...

7. Software Project Management - The complete course

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8. Master Course in Project Management 2.0

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Project Management: Growing a Successful Career as a Project Manager...

15. Business Analyst: Project Management Techniques and Tools

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16. Project Management Office (PMO) Setup Guide

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PMO Step-by-Step Implementation Plan...

17. Project Management Fundamentals

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Practical Project Management worked example using Gantt Charts, PMI, PMP, APM...

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19. Project Management Training

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Project Management Certification Training with 4 Full Practice Tests...

20. The Project Management Course: Beginner to PROject Manager

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Top 10 most affordable universities for program managers/project leader

The most affordable schools for program managers/project leader are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for program managers/project leader 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 program managers/project leader.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for program managers/project leader

The hardest universities for program managers/project leader to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for program managers/project leader 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 program managers/project leader 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for program managers/project leader

The easiest schools for program managers/project leader to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and nyack college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a program manager/project leader 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 program managers/project leader.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

10. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

Average program manager/project leader salary by education level

According to our data, program managers/project leader with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $122,967 annually. Program managers/project leader with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $121,935.

Program manager/project leader education level	Program manager/project leader salary
Master's Degree	$122,967
Bachelor's Degree	$111,513
Doctorate Degree	$121,935
Some College/ Associate Degree	$95,141

Program manager/project leader education FAQs

What is the best college for Program Managers/Project Leader?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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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