Post job

Project and support manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a project and support manager. Project and support managers usually study business, computer science, or accounting. 68% of project and support managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,156 real project and support manager resumes to see exactly what project and support manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for project and support managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online project and support manager courses to help get the education required to be a project and support manager.

There are certain project and support manager certifications that you should consider. These project and support manager certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Master Project Manager (MPM).

What education do you need to become a project and support manager?

What degree do you need to be a project and support manager?

The most common degree for project and support managers is bachelor's degree, with 68% of project and support managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Master's, 15%
  • Associate, 12%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a project and support manager?

You should major in business to become a project and support manager. 30% of project and support managers major in business. Other common majors for a project and support manager include computer science and accounting.

Most common colleges for project and support managers

Project and support managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and University of Illinois at Chicago. Here are the most common colleges for project and support managers in the US based on their resumes.
Project and support manager common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix13.71%
New York University7.26%
University of Illinois at Chicago6.45%
University of Maryland - College Park6.45%
Howard University6.45%

Best majors for project and support managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business30.5%
2Computer Science8.3%
3Accounting6.0%
4Project Management6.0%
5Communication5.8%

Best colleges for project and support managers

The best colleges for project and support managers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

A project and support 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 project and support 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 project and support managers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

20 best online courses for project and support managers

Advertising disclosure

1. Digital Project Management

udacity

Build confidence translating business requirements into project scope statements, creating project plans in Waterfall or Agile, and developing a high-performing team...

2. Practical Project Portfolio Management

udemy
4.4
(796)

Selecting & Managing The Right Projects...

3. Project Management Office (PMO) Setup Guide

udemy
4.4
(471)

PMO Step-by-Step Implementation Plan...

4. Project Management: Simple Software Project Management

udemy
4.4
(1,144)

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

5. Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Essentials

udemy
4.2
(283)

Assurance and confidence through portfolio intelligence...

6. Software Project Management - The complete course

udemy
4
(307)

Project management in software development in traditional and agile projects...

7. Agile Project Management Bootcamp: Agile Project Management

udemy
4.5
(1,916)

This Agile Project Management Bootcamp course will allow you to learn the Agile Way! Agile Project Management (Scrum)...

8. Project Management Office (PMO) for Management Consultants

udemy
4.3
(1,283)

A practical guide on how to build and run PMO on the level of top consulting firm Mc Kinsey, BCG, Bain, Pw C...

9. Business Analyst: Project Management Techniques and Tools

udemy
4.5
(4,412)

Learn project management techniques to increase your project success rate as a Business Analyst!...

10. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery

udemy
4.5
(82,218)

Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...

11. AgilePMĀ® Project Management - Foundation and Practitioner

udemy
4.1
(420)

Get an appreciation of Agile, Agility and Agile PMĀ® Project Management, a best practice for Agile project management...

12. Project Management Course: Master Project Scope Management

udemy
4.3
(457)

Practical guide to scope development and management - Project Management Certification (PMP, CAPM) Training [Earn 11PDU]...

13. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

udemy
4.6
(2,666)

Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...

14. Project Management Essentials

udemy
4.5
(15,814)

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

15. Beginning Project Management: Project Management Level One

udemy
4.6
(28,219)

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

16. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

udemy
4.5
(941)

Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

17. Project Management: Becoming a Successful Project manager

udemy
4.4
(250)

Project Management...

18. The Project Management Course: Beginner to PROject Manager

udemy
4.6
(44,976)

The Complete Course For Becoming A Successful Project Manager...

19. Project Management: Getting Started and Beyond

udemy
4.4
(2,246)

Real World Project Management: Become a Better Project Manager...

20. Practical Project Management for Management Consultants

udemy
4.5
(809)

How to manage successfully a consulting project - a practical guide for Project Managers...

Top 10 most affordable universities for project and support managers

The most affordable schools for project and support managers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for project and support 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 project and support managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for project and support managers

The hardest universities for project and support managers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for project and support 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 project and support 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for project and support managers

The easiest schools for project and support managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a project and support 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 project and support 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. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

9. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average project and support manager salary by education level

Project and support managers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $95,137 annually. With a Master's degree, project and support managers earn a median annual income of $90,317 compared to $81,097 for project and support managers with an Bachelor's degree.
Project and support manager education levelProject and support manager salary
Master's Degree$90,317
High School Diploma or Less$64,754
Bachelor's Degree$81,097
Doctorate Degree$95,137
Some College/ Associate Degree$67,862

Project and support manager education FAQs

Search for project and support manager jobs

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.

Browse executive management jobs