Security project manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a security project manager. Security project managers usually study business, criminal justice, or computer science. 60% of security project managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,064 real security project manager resumes to see exactly what security project manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for security project managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain security project manager certifications that you should consider. These security project manager certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL).

What education do you need to become a security project manager?

What degree do you need to be a security project manager?

The most common degree for security project managers is bachelor's degree, with 60% of security project managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 60%

Master's, 18%

Associate, 14%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a security project manager?

You should major in business to become a security project manager. 19% of security project managers major in business. Other common majors for a security project manager include criminal justice and computer science.

Business, 19%

Criminal Justice, 19%

Computer Science, 11%

Information Systems, 4%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for security project managers

Security project managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of South Florida, and American University. Here are the most common colleges for security project managers in the US based on their resumes.

Security project manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	18.18%
University of South Florida	6.36%
American University	6.36%
DeVry University	6.36%
George Washington University, The	5.45%

Show more common security project manager colleges

Best majors for security project managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	18.7%
2	Criminal Justice	18.7%
3	Computer Science	11.1%
4	Information Systems	4.5%
5	Electrical Engineering	4.5%

Show more common security project manager majors

Best colleges for security project managers

The best colleges for security project managers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

A security 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 security 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 security project managers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

20 best online courses for security project managers

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1. Digital Project Management

Build confidence translating business requirements into project scope statements, creating project plans in Waterfall or Agile, and developing a high-performing team...

2. Managing Network Security

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3. Introducing Security: Aligning Asset and Risk Management

Course 1 - Introducing Security and Aligning Asset Management to Risk Management In this course, we're going to start by discussing the security concepts, identifying corporate assets, and discussing the risk management process. Course 1 Learning Objectives After completing this course, the participant will be able to: L1.1 - Classify information security and security concepts. L1.2 - Summarize components of the asset management lifecycle. L1.3 - Identify common risks and vulnerabilities. L1.4...

4. Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO)

4.5

(656)

Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO) Certification Exam Prep Course...

5. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

4.1

(1,311)

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)...

6. ISO/IEC 27005:2022. Information security risk management

4.6

(878)

Understand the framework proposed by ISO for managing information security risks in an organization...

7. Information Security Management Fundamentals for Non-Techies

4.6

(13,166)

Learn the Fundamentals of Information Security Management for Non-Techies...

8. ISACA CISM Certified Information Security Manager

(285)

One of the highest paid certifications! Become a Certified Information Security Manager!...

9. Information Security Fundamentals - Cyber Security Bootcamp

4.2

(267)

A Beginners Awareness Guide on Information Security & Cyber Security to Keep Online and Offline Devices Safe!...

10. Security Management: Excellence in Private Protection

4.5

(905)

A complete Security Management knowledge suite of managing security operations, programs/services, budgets, & personnel...

11. Information Systems Security for Professionals: CISSP

4.5

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Making Next Gen Information Security Leaders...

12. The Complete Cyber Security Course: Network Security!

4.6

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Volume 2 : Network Security, Wi Fi Security, Wi Fi Hackers, Firewalls, Wireshark, Secure Networking. + Password Managers...

13. ISO/IEC 27001:2022. Information Security Management System

4.5

(10,956)

Learn how your company can protect its information with an ISMS that meets the requirements of ISO/IEC 27001...

14. PCI DSS Bootcamp: The A-Z™ Information Security Course

4.3

(828)

Master the 12 Requirements of PCI DSS v4.0 Compliance, Cyber Security and Identity Access Management + Practice Test...

15. ISO/IEC 27002:2022. Information security controls

4.5

(770)

Learn about the comprehensive set of information security controls proposed by ISO/IEC 27002:2022...

16. Introduction to Corporate Information Security

4.1

(454)

This course explains why information security and its management are important for any modern organization...

17. [2023] Information Security A-Z™: Cyber Security Bootcamp

4.3

(743)

Become an expert in ISO/IEC 27001, Risk Management, Cryptography, Cyber Forensics, Malware & clear your Interview!...

18. Introduction to Cyber Security

4.6

(426)

Learn the basic and vital components of Cyber Security & Cyberspace. In this course you learn cyber security components!...

19. Certified Healthcare InfoSys Security Practitioner (CHISSP)

4.7

(263)

Certified Healthcare Information Systems Security Practitioner (CHISSP)...

20. Introduction to the CISSP Security Certification

4.2

(314)

Introduction to the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Certification for 2021...

Top 10 most affordable universities for security project managers

The most affordable schools for security project managers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for security 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 security project managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for security project managers

The hardest universities for security project managers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for security 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 security 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for security project managers

The easiest schools for security project managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.

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

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

9. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average security project manager salary by education level

According to our data, security project managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $128,575 annually. Security project managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $121,188.

Security project manager education level	Security project manager salary
Master's Degree	$121,188
High School Diploma or Less	$82,993
Bachelor's Degree	$107,214
Doctorate Degree	$128,575
Some College/ Associate Degree	$87,540

Security project manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Security Project Managers?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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