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Research and development project manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a research and development project manager. Research and development project managers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or business. 68% of research and development project managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 942 real research and development project manager resumes to see exactly what research and development project manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for research and development project managers are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online research and development project manager courses to help get the education required to be a research and development project manager.
What education do you need to become a research and development project manager?
What degree do you need to be a research and development project manager?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a research and development project manager?
Most common colleges for research and development project managers
| Research and development project manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 9.73% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 8.85% |
| Brigham Young University | 6.19% |
| National University | 5.31% |
| Drexel University | 5.31% |
Best majors for research and development project managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 15.3% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 14.3% |
| 3 | Business | 11.9% |
| 4 | Chemistry | 10.9% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 8.7% |
Best colleges for research and development project managers
The best colleges for research and development project managers are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A research and development project 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 research and development project 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 research and development project managers.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
20 best online courses for research and development project managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for research and development project managers
The most affordable schools for research and development project managers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for research and development project 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 research and development project managers.
1. United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$1,080
Cost of attendance
6,646
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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 research and development project managers
The hardest universities for research and development project managers to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for research and development project 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 research and development project 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research and development project managers
The easiest schools for research and development project managers to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, the university of texas permian basin, and the university of texas at el paso.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a research and development project 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 research and development project managers.
1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
2. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
3. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
10. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
Average research and development project manager salary by education level
| Research and development project manager education level | Research and development project manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $108,828 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $100,725 |
| Doctorate Degree | $118,548 |
Research and development project manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025