Regional business manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a regional business manager. Regional business managers usually study business, marketing, or accounting. 78% of regional business managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,011 real regional business manager resumes to see exactly what regional business manager education sections show.

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

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

There are certain regional business manager certifications that you should consider. These regional business manager certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Certified Management Executive (CME).

What education do you need to become a regional business manager?

What degree do you need to be a regional business manager?

The most common degree for regional business managers is bachelor's degree, with 78% of regional business 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 5%.

Bachelor's, 78%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 5%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a regional business manager?

You should major in business to become a regional business manager. 36% of regional business managers major in business. Other common majors for a regional business manager include marketing and accounting.

Business, 36%

Marketing, 13%

Accounting, 7%

Finance, 6%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for regional business managers

Regional business managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Michigan State University, and University of Massachusetts Boston. Here are the most common colleges for regional business managers in the US based on their resumes.

Regional business manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	10.09%
Michigan State University	5.96%
University of Massachusetts Boston	5.96%
University of Georgia	5.96%
Pennsylvania State University	5.50%

Show more common regional business manager colleges

Best majors for regional business managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	35.6%
2	Marketing	13.1%
3	Accounting	6.5%
4	Finance	6.0%
5	Management	5.8%

Show more common regional business manager majors

Best colleges for regional business managers

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

A regional business 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 regional business 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 regional business managers.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

5. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

20 best online courses for regional business managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for regional business managers

The most affordable schools for regional business managers are USF Sarasota-Manatee, university of florida, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for regional business 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 regional business managers.

1. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for regional business managers

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

Some great schools for regional business 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 regional business 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for regional business managers

The easiest schools for regional business managers to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, mount saint mary's university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

7. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average regional business manager salary by education level

According to our data, regional business managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $144,978 annually. Regional business managers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $140,000.

Regional business manager education level	Regional business manager salary
Master's Degree	$144,978
High School Diploma or Less	$113,918
Bachelor's Degree	$134,436
Doctorate Degree	$140,000
Some College/ Associate Degree	$113,863

Regional business manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Regional Business 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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