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Recruitment manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a recruitment manager. Recruitment managers usually study business, psychology, or human resources management. 75% of recruitment managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 11,620 real recruitment manager resumes to see exactly what recruitment manager education sections show.

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

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

There are certain recruitment manager certifications that you should consider. These recruitment manager certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).

What education do you need to become a recruitment manager?

What degree do you need to be a recruitment manager?

The most common degree for recruitment managers is bachelor's degree, with 75% of recruitment managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 75%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Associate, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a recruitment manager?

You should major in business to become a recruitment manager. 31% of recruitment managers major in business. Other common majors for a recruitment manager include psychology and human resources management.

Most common colleges for recruitment managers

Recruitment managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for recruitment managers in the US based on their resumes.
Recruitment manager common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix19.38%
Pennsylvania State University5.32%
University of Maryland - College Park5.32%
American University5.01%
University of Central Florida4.79%

Best majors for recruitment managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business31.0%
2Psychology9.9%
3Human Resources Management9.1%
4Communication7.5%
5Marketing5.6%

Best colleges for recruitment managers

The best colleges for recruitment managers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

A recruitment 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 recruitment 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 recruitment 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. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

10. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

20 best online courses for recruitment managers

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1. Recruitment, Interviewing, and Emotional Intelligence

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Start hiring confidently, interview skilfully & make recruitment decisions professionally. Avoid costly hiring mistakes...

3. The Complete Recruiting Masterclass - HR Resources - Hiring

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HR Managers - You Can Hire the Right People - Talent Management Skills for Human Resources Professionals...

4. Ultimate HR Generalist and Human Resource Management Course

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Hands-on HR Certification: All HRM topics. Master Employee Life Cycle, Payroll, Recruitment, Engagement, EXDesign and AI...

5. Job Search Success Strategies: Proven Job Hunting Strategies

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You Want to Land Your Dream Job? Learn How to Impress Recruiters, Beat the Competition and Win Job Interviews!...

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7. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0

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Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...

8. [2023] Recruiting: Talent Acquisition & Hiring (Version 3.2)

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Be able to hire great people! Learn recruitment in a bestselling recruiting course used by IBM®, e Bay®, Lyft® & others...

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10. Social Media Recruitment for Human Resource Professionals

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13. Recruitment: IT Basics for IT Recruiters

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IT fundamentals for Recruiters in IT industry...

14. Boolean Search for Recruitment & Sourcing (Human Resource)

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Boolean Search, Boolean Operators, Boolean String, Google Advanced Search, Xray Search for HR Professionals...

15. Recruiter Training - Hire Top Employees in Under 30 Days

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16. Recruitment Tools for Difficult Times

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17. IT for recruiters and talent management professionals

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18. The Lean Recruiting Toolkit: Advanced Strategy Course!

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19. [2021] Optimized Interview: For Hiring Managers & Recruiters

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A practical step-by-step interviewing guide to help you hire the best candidates every time...

20. Job Seeker's Guide To Nailing Every Interview

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Everything you need to know about interviewing so you can get the job of your dreams...

Top 10 most affordable universities for recruitment managers

The most affordable schools for recruitment managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.

If the best universities for recruitment 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 recruitment 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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for recruitment managers

The hardest universities for recruitment managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for recruitment 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 recruitment 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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

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

The easiest schools for recruitment managers to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a recruitment 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 recruitment managers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

9. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average recruitment manager salary by education level

According to our data, recruitment managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $113,313 annually. Recruitment managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $108,429.
Recruitment manager education levelRecruitment manager salary
Master's Degree$108,429
Bachelor's Degree$95,911
Doctorate Degree$113,313
Some College/ Associate Degree$79,544

Recruitment manager education FAQs

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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.

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