Regional program manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a regional program manager. Regional program managers usually study business, psychology, or management. 67% of regional program managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,226 real regional program manager resumes to see exactly what regional program manager education sections show.

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

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

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

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

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

The most common degree for regional program managers is bachelor's degree, with 67% of regional program managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 67%

Master's, 18%

Associate, 9%

Doctorate, 2%

Other Degrees, 4%

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

You should major in business to become a regional program manager. 29% of regional program managers major in business. Other common majors for a regional program manager include psychology and management.

Business, 29%

Psychology, 9%

Management, 5%

Nursing, 5%

Other Majors, 52%

Most common colleges for regional program managers

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

Regional program manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	15.91%
University of Maryland - College Park	6.82%
Florida State University	6.82%
Pennsylvania State University	6.06%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale	5.30%

Show more common regional program manager colleges

Best majors for regional program managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	28.8%
2	Psychology	9.1%
3	Management	5.1%
4	Nursing	5.1%
5	Sociology	4.2%

Show more common regional program manager majors

Best colleges for regional program managers

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

A regional program 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 program 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 program managers.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

4. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

5. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

20 best online courses for regional program managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for regional program managers

The most affordable schools for regional program managers are University of Florida, usf sarasota-manatee, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for regional program 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 program managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

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 program managers

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

Some great schools for regional program 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 program 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

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. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

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

The easiest schools for regional program managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, gwynedd mercy university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

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. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average regional program manager salary by education level

Regional program managers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $101,050 annually. With a Doctorate degree, regional program managers earn a median annual income of $95,132 compared to $88,695 for regional program managers with an Bachelor's degree.

Regional program manager education level	Regional program manager salary
Master's Degree	$101,050
High School Diploma or Less	$66,628
Bachelor's Degree	$88,695
Doctorate Degree	$95,132
Some College/ Associate Degree	$66,573

Regional program manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Regional Program 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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