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Restaurant manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a restaurant manager. Restaurant managers usually study business, hospitality management, or culinary arts. 50% of restaurant managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 39,125 real restaurant manager resumes to see exactly what restaurant manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for restaurant managers are the Johnson & Wales University and the Johnson & Wales University.
There are also many online restaurant manager courses to help get the education required to be a restaurant manager.
There are certain restaurant manager certifications that you should consider. These restaurant manager certifications include Certified Master Safe Technician (CMST) and Food Safety Manager Certification.
What education do you need to become a restaurant manager?
What degree do you need to be a restaurant manager?
- Bachelor's, 50%
- Associate, 23%
- High School Diploma, 15%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a restaurant manager?
- Business, 30%
- Culinary Arts, 6%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for restaurant managers
| Restaurant manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Johnson & Wales University | 18.08% |
| University of Phoenix | 12.57% |
| University of Central Florida | 5.68% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.46% |
| Culinary Institute of America | 4.96% |
Best majors for restaurant managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 29.7% |
| 2 | Hospitality Management | 11.7% |
| 3 | Culinary Arts | 6.3% |
| 4 | Health Care Administration | 5.4% |
| 5 | Management | 5.2% |
Best colleges for restaurant managers
The best colleges for restaurant managers are Cornell University, New York University, and Boston University.
A restaurant 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 restaurant 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 restaurant managers.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,360
Enrollment
3,142
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce
Mercedita, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,914
Enrollment
4,155
6. University of Akron
Akron, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,463
Enrollment
13,676
7. SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology at Morrisville
Morrisville, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,670
Enrollment
2,758
8. SUNY College at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,369
Enrollment
5,229
9. University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK • Private
In-state tuition
$8,580
Enrollment
10,482
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for restaurant managers
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11. Complete Health and Safety Auditor Course. OHSAS 18001.
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14. Django In Real Life - Build Complex Restaurant Platform
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16. OSHA Safety Training: Heat Stress Management
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Top 10 most affordable universities for restaurant managers
The most affordable schools for restaurant managers are USF Sarasota-Manatee, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for restaurant 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 restaurant managers.
1. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
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 restaurant managers
The hardest universities for restaurant managers to get into are Cornell University, New York University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for restaurant 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 restaurant 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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for restaurant managers
The easiest schools for restaurant managers to get into are Life University, university of north texas at dallas, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a restaurant 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 restaurant managers.
1. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
2. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
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. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average restaurant manager salary by education level
| Restaurant manager education level | Restaurant manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,172 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $51,584 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $58,486 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,599 |
Restaurant 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