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Research and evaluation manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a research and evaluation manager. Research and evaluation managers usually study psychology, business, or biology. 59% of research and evaluation managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 398 real research and evaluation manager resumes to see exactly what research and evaluation manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for research and evaluation managers are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

There are also many online research and evaluation manager courses to help get the education required to be a research and evaluation manager.

What education do you need to become a research and evaluation manager?

What degree do you need to be a research and evaluation manager?

The most common degree for research and evaluation managers is bachelor's degree, with 59% of research and evaluation managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 24% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 59%
  • Master's, 24%
  • Associate, 8%
  • Doctorate, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a research and evaluation manager?

You should major in psychology to become a research and evaluation manager. 21% of research and evaluation managers major in psychology. Other common majors for a research and evaluation manager include business and biology.

Most common colleges for research and evaluation managers

Research and evaluation managers often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, Tufts University, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for research and evaluation managers in the US based on their resumes.
Research and evaluation manager common collegePercentages
University of California - Davis10.34%
Tufts University6.90%
University of Florida5.17%
Boston University5.17%
Michigan State University5.17%

Best majors for research and evaluation managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology21.4%
2Business11.8%
3Biology7.5%
4Sociology6.4%
5Political Science6.4%

Best colleges for research and evaluation managers

The best colleges for research and evaluation managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A research and evaluation 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 evaluation 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 evaluation managers.

1. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

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 Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

10. Texas State University

San Marcos, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,280

Enrollment

34,187

20 best online courses for research and evaluation managers

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1. Data Analysis Immersive (Full-time)

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4. Marketing Analytics

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5. Program Design & Evaluation for Health Systems Strengthening

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This course provides an introduction to designing and evaluating to strengthen the health system. After successful completion of all learning activities, course participants will be able to: 1. Define health systems strengthening 2. Describe health systems frameworks and how to incorporate them into evaluation planning 3. Describe how to design and prioritize implementation of health systems programs 4. Detail approaches to evaluate health systems programs, including data sources and study...

6. Evaluation of Digital Health Interventions

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This course focuses on data, evaluation methods and the economic evaluation of digital health interventions. This module focuses on key data considerations for digital health including data management, data visualisation and methods for evaluating digital health interventions. The key focus is on experimental and quasi-experimental design approaches that can be applied to evaluating digital health interventions and key considerations for the economic evaluation of digital health interventions...

7. Advanced Monitoring and Evaluation

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8. Monitoring and Evaluation

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A mini course in basic concepts of M & E for development and governance programmes, policies and services...

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11. Data Structures and Algorithms

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12. Data Visualization

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You will start by building data visualizations and dashboards, considering your audiences to be as effective as possible. Then, you’ll move into drafting presentations using storytelling techniques, visualizations, and animations to provide data-driven recommendations...

13. Measuring and Modeling Impact in Evaluations

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We want to provide you some information about our course “Measuring and Modeling Impact in evaluations”. The purpose of this course is to give you a better understanding of different measures of impact that could be used in the evaluation of a program in the areas of maternal and child health and nutrition. For each of the measures presented, we will discuss current sources of data you might draw on as well as describe the methods that can be used to measure these. When we describe the methods,...

14. How to Create a Program Evaluation for Your Non-Profit

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In this 1.5 hour long project-based course, you will learn how to create a program evaluation plan for your non-profit. By the end of the course, you will understand the importance of program evaluation, how to use Logic Models, how to write SMART goals for your program, and how to formulate good questions to gather the data you need. Learning Objectives: Task 1: Understand why evaluation is valuable for your program or organization. Task 2: Learn how to identify and define the typical...

15. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales

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16. R Programming: Advanced Analytics In R For Data Science

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19. Analysis and Interpretation of Large-Scale Programs

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20. Utilize Survey Monkey as an Evaluation Tool

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Top 10 most affordable universities for research and evaluation managers

The most affordable schools for research and evaluation managers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and florida state university.

If the best universities for research and evaluation 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 evaluation managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for research and evaluation managers

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

Some great schools for research and evaluation 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 evaluation 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

10. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research and evaluation managers

The easiest schools for research and evaluation managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a research and evaluation 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 evaluation managers.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

7. Ursuline College

Pepper Pike, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,102

8. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average research and evaluation manager salary by education level

According to our data, research and evaluation managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $70,818 annually. Research and evaluation managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $69,882.
Research and evaluation manager education levelResearch and evaluation manager salary
Master's Degree$69,882
Bachelor's Degree$57,942
Doctorate Degree$70,818

Research and evaluation 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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