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Senior manager of research and development education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior manager of research and development. Senior managers of research and development usually study business, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering. 63% of senior managers of research and development hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 606 real senior manager of research and development resumes to see exactly what senior manager of research and development education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior managers of research and development are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.

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

What education do you need to become a senior manager of research and development?

What degree do you need to be a senior manager of research and development?

The most common degree for senior managers of research and development is bachelor's degree, with 63% of senior managers of research and development earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Master's, 22%
  • Doctorate, 9%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a senior manager of research and development?

You should major in business to become a senior manager of research and development. 14% of senior managers of research and development major in business. Other common majors for a senior manager of research and development include electrical engineering and mechanical engineering.

Most common colleges for senior managers of research and development

Senior managers of research and development often get their degrees at University of Florida, Ohio State University, and Santa Clara University. Here are the most common colleges for senior managers of research and development in the US based on their resumes.
Senior manager of research and development common collegePercentages
University of Florida6.52%
Ohio State University6.52%
Santa Clara University6.52%
University of Illinois at Chicago6.52%
Fashion Institute of Technology6.52%

Best majors for senior managers of research and development

Best colleges for senior managers of research and development

The best colleges for senior managers of research and development are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A senior manager of research and development 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 managers of research and development. 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 managers of research and development.

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 senior managers of research and development

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior managers of research and development

The most affordable schools for senior managers of research and development are United States Merchant Marine Academy, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for senior managers of research and development 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 managers of research and development.

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 senior managers of research and development

The hardest universities for senior managers of research and development to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for senior managers of research and development 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 managers of research and development 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 senior managers of research and development

The easiest schools for senior managers of research and development 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 senior manager of research and development 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 managers of research and development.

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 senior manager of research and development salary by education level

According to our data, senior managers of research and development with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $170,143 annually. Senior managers of research and development with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $158,041.
Senior manager of research and development education levelSenior manager of research and development salary
Master's Degree$158,041
Bachelor's Degree$147,840
Doctorate Degree$170,143

Senior manager of research and development 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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