Senior event manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior event manager. Senior event managers usually study business, communication, or hospitality management. 79% of senior event managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,332 real senior event manager resumes to see exactly what senior event manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior event managers are the Johnson & Wales University and the Johnson & Wales University.

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

There are certain senior event manager certifications that you should consider. These senior event manager certifications include Certification in Meetings Management (CMM) and Certified International Trade Marketing Specialist (CITMS).

What education do you need to become a senior event manager?

What degree do you need to be a senior event manager?

The most common degree for senior event managers is bachelor's degree, with 79% of senior event managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 9% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 79%

Associate, 9%

Master's, 8%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a senior event manager?

You should major in business to become a senior event manager. 23% of senior event managers major in business. Other common majors for a senior event manager include communication and hospitality management.

Business, 23%

Communication, 14%

Hospitality Management, 11%

Marketing, 10%

Other Majors, 42%

Most common colleges for senior event managers

Senior event managers often get their degrees at Johnson & Wales University, George Washington University, The, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for senior event managers in the US based on their resumes.

Senior event manager common college	Percentages
Johnson & Wales University	7.91%
George Washington University, The	7.34%
University of Maryland - College Park	6.78%
University of Central Florida	6.78%
Pennsylvania State University	6.21%

Show more common senior event manager colleges

Best majors for senior event managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	22.5%
2	Communication	14.4%
3	Hospitality Management	10.5%
4	Marketing	9.6%
5	Health Care Administration	5.1%

Show more common senior event manager majors

Best colleges for senior event managers

The best colleges for senior event managers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.

A senior event 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 senior event 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 senior event managers.

1. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for senior event managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior event managers

The most affordable schools for senior event managers are California State University - Long Beach, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for senior event 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 senior event managers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior event managers

The hardest universities for senior event managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.

Some great schools for senior event 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 senior event 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior event managers

The easiest schools for senior event managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior event 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 senior event 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. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. American International College

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,010

Average senior event manager salary by education level

Senior event managers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $92,018 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, senior event managers earn a median annual income of $91,921 compared to $85,245 for senior event managers with an Associate degree.

Senior event manager education level	Senior event manager salary
Master's Degree	$92,018
High School Diploma or Less	$80,283
Bachelor's Degree	$91,921
Some College/ Associate Degree	$85,245

Senior event manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Senior Event 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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