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Relationship manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a relationship manager. Relationship managers usually study business, finance, or marketing. 69% of relationship managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 14,614 real relationship manager resumes to see exactly what relationship manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for relationship managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online relationship manager courses to help get the education required to be a relationship manager.
There are certain relationship manager certifications that you should consider. These relationship manager certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become a relationship manager?
What degree do you need to be a relationship manager?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a relationship manager?
- Business, 34%
- Finance, 15%
- Marketing, 7%
- Accounting, 6%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for relationship managers
| Relationship manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 19.98% |
| New York University | 6.26% |
| Arizona State University | 5.70% |
| University of Iowa | 5.14% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 5.14% |
Best majors for relationship managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 34.4% |
| 2 | Finance | 15.1% |
| 3 | Marketing | 7.3% |
| 4 | Accounting | 5.5% |
| 5 | Economics | 5.2% |
Best colleges for relationship managers
The best colleges for relationship managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A relationship 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 relationship 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 relationship 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
6. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,620
Enrollment
27,730
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. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
20 best online courses for relationship managers
Advertising disclosure
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19. Principles of Financial Accounting
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Top 10 most affordable universities for relationship managers
The most affordable schools for relationship managers are USF Sarasota-Manatee, university of florida, and university of south florida.
If the best universities for relationship 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 relationship 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. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for relationship managers
The hardest universities for relationship managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for relationship 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 relationship 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 Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
10. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for relationship managers
The easiest schools for relationship managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a relationship 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 relationship managers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,080
Average relationship manager salary by education level
| Relationship manager education level | Relationship manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $103,691 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $73,764 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $93,204 |
| Doctorate Degree | $98,698 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $73,714 |
Relationship manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025