Project manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a project manager. Project managers usually study business, computer science, or electrical engineering. 68% of project managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 310,969 real project manager resumes to see exactly what project manager education sections show.

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

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

There are certain project manager certifications that you should consider. These project manager certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Scrum Master (CSM).

What education do you need to become a project manager?

What degree do you need to be a project manager?

The most common degree for project managers is bachelor's degree, with 68% of project managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 68%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 11%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a project manager?

You should major in business to become a project manager. 29% of project managers major in business. Other common majors for a project manager include computer science and electrical engineering.

Business, 29%

Computer Science, 6%

Electrical Engineering, 5%

Mechanical Engineering, 5%

Other Majors, 55%

Most common colleges for project managers

Project managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Maryland - College Park, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for project managers in the US based on their resumes.

Project manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	14.53%
University of Maryland - College Park	6.50%
Pennsylvania State University	6.01%
Purdue University	5.31%
Texas A&M University	5.30%

Show more common project manager colleges

Best majors for project managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	28.8%
2	Computer Science	6.5%
3	Electrical Engineering	5.5%
4	Mechanical Engineering	4.9%
5	Civil Engineering	4.8%

Show more common project manager majors

Best colleges for project managers

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

A project 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 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 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 managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for project managers

The most affordable schools for project 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 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 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 managers

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

Some great schools for project 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 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

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

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

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

SAT average

1,516

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

The easiest schools for project 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 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 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 manager salary by education level

According to our data, project managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $114,985 annually. Project managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $109,564.

Project manager education level	Project manager salary
Master's Degree	$109,564
High School Diploma or Less	$80,440
Bachelor's Degree	$99,138
Doctorate Degree	$114,985
Some College/ Associate Degree	$84,019

Project manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Project Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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