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Regulatory affairs manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a regulatory affairs manager. Regulatory affairs managers usually study business, biology, or pharmacy. 64% of regulatory affairs managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,447 real regulatory affairs manager resumes to see exactly what regulatory affairs manager education sections show.

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

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

There are certain regulatory affairs manager certifications that you should consider. These regulatory affairs manager certifications include Regulatory Affairs Certification - US (RAC) and Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP).

What education do you need to become a regulatory affairs manager?

What degree do you need to be a regulatory affairs manager?

The most common degree for regulatory affairs managers is bachelor's degree, with 64% of regulatory affairs managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 64%
  • Master's, 19%
  • Doctorate, 8%
  • Associate, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a regulatory affairs manager?

You should major in business to become a regulatory affairs manager. 17% of regulatory affairs managers major in business. Other common majors for a regulatory affairs manager include biology and pharmacy.

Most common colleges for regulatory affairs managers

Regulatory affairs managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Purdue University, and Ohio State University. Here are the most common colleges for regulatory affairs managers in the US based on their resumes.
Regulatory affairs manager common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix15.09%
Purdue University7.17%
Ohio State University6.79%
Pennsylvania State University6.42%
Michigan State University6.04%

Best majors for regulatory affairs managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business16.6%
2Biology16.0%
3Pharmacy11.6%
4Chemistry9.5%
5Political Science7.0%

Best colleges for regulatory affairs managers

The best colleges for regulatory affairs managers are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A regulatory affairs 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 regulatory affairs 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 regulatory affairs managers.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

5. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

9. Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$38,178

Enrollment

6,008

10. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$13,764

Enrollment

20,435

20 best online courses for regulatory affairs managers

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1. Regulatory Compliance

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This specialization is designed for individuals and teams that will be running or interacting with clinical trials. In four courses, learners will develop insights and build the skills they need to design, manage, and monitor clinical trials as well as analyze, document, and communicate the results. Learners will also learn best practices regarding ethics, safety, participant recruitment, regulatory compliance, and reporting standards. The core principles and skills of the specialization will...

3. Pharmaceutical Industry Drug Regulatory Affairs (DRA)

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Empowering Professionals in the Pharmaceutical Industry: A Comprehensive Online Course in Drug Regulatory Affairs...

4. Certificate Course in Drug Regulatory Affairs (DRA)

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Pharma course (NDA, ANDA, CTD, DMF, USFDA, Regulatory strategy, GMP, Clinical Research, Orange Book, Pharmaceuticals)...

5. Cybersecurity Management and Compliance

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In this course, you’ll learn about data and record management, Information security, standards and policy formation, and implementation. You’ll also explore cloud adoption frameworks and regulatory compliance frameworks. This course will take you one step closer to the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate, which requires no degree or prior experience. After completing this course, you'll be able to: • Explain the principles of cloud security planning • Identify security...

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DRA, Orange book, USFDA, e CTD, CTD, INDA, NDA, ANDA, DMF, ICH, Software Demo, RA Jobs, Quiz, Pharma Skills, Updated 2023...

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8. EU Medical Device Regulatory Affairs explained Simply

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14. ISO 13485 Demystified - Medical Devices' QMS 360° Insights

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19. Internal audit on Medical Device QMS - ISO 13485:2016

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Successfully conduct an internal audit based on requirements of ISO 13485:2016 for Medical Device Development and QMS...

20. ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems Lead Auditor Course

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Top 10 most affordable universities for regulatory affairs managers

The most affordable schools for regulatory affairs managers are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for regulatory affairs 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 regulatory affairs managers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. York College of the City University of New York

Jamaica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,158

Cost of attendance

14,204

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

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 regulatory affairs managers

The hardest universities for regulatory affairs managers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for regulatory affairs 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 regulatory affairs 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for regulatory affairs managers

The easiest schools for regulatory affairs managers to get into are D'Youville College, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame de namur university.

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

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

8. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average regulatory affairs manager salary by education level

According to our data, regulatory affairs managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $154,347 annually. Regulatory affairs managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $145,617.
Regulatory affairs manager education levelRegulatory affairs manager salary
Master's Degree$145,617
High School Diploma or Less$100,937
Bachelor's Degree$129,328
Doctorate Degree$154,347
Some College/ Associate Degree$106,265

Regulatory affairs 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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