Post job

Senior production manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior production manager. Senior production managers usually study business, graphic design, or communication. 69% of senior production managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,934 real senior production manager resumes to see exactly what senior production manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior production managers are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

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

There are certain senior production manager certifications that you should consider. These senior production manager certifications include Six Sigma Green Belt and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

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

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

The most common degree for senior production managers is bachelor's degree, with 69% of senior production managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 69%
  • Associate, 15%
  • Master's, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

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

You should major in business to become a senior production manager. 25% of senior production managers major in business. Other common majors for a senior production manager include graphic design and communication.

Most common colleges for senior production managers

Senior production managers often get their degrees at Fashion Institute of Technology, University of Phoenix, and Rochester Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for senior production managers in the US based on their resumes.
Senior production manager common collegePercentages
Fashion Institute of Technology14.29%
University of Phoenix8.79%
Rochester Institute of Technology6.59%
Emerson College5.49%
San Francisco State University4.95%

Best majors for senior production managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business25.1%
2Graphic Design11.5%
3Communication7.3%
4Marketing6.9%
5Fine Arts6.5%

Best colleges for senior production managers

The best colleges for senior production managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

A senior production 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 production 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 production managers.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

7. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

8. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

20 best online courses for senior production managers

Advertising disclosure

1. Product Management Crash Course; IT Product Management

udemy
4.4
(593)

Product Management Essentials & Product Management Fundamentals to kick-start your career in Product Management...

2. Great Product Manager: Product Management by a Big Tech's PM

udemy
4.5
(2,976)

Become a Great Product Manager! Land your dream job with Big Tech's Senior Product Manager...

3. Comprehensive Product management for Product managers

udemy
4.5
(366)

Become a great product manager with comprehensive product management Real world case study with JIRA & Confluence...

4. Product Management Fundamentals

udemy
4.4
(4,918)

Case-based practical course on product management to build strong foundations in product concepts, process & frameworks...

5. Product Management Marketing: Dekker's Product Marketing MBA

udemy
4.6
(2,007)

Be a Product Marketing Manager - Product Management : Product Manager MBA : Product to Market : Product Owner Launch GTM...

6. Productivity and Time Management Masterclass

udemy
4.5
(1,416)

The Productivity Course: You = Super Productive. Daily Routines. Organization. Time Management. Task Management...

7. Productivity Machine: Time Management & Productivity Hacks

udemy
4.5
(27,996)

Productivity & Time Management Strategies for Goal Setting, Eliminating Distractions, & Building Habits for Success...

8. Product Management 101

udemy
4.6
(17,475)

Learn to become a more strategic product manager - and have a greater impact on your company and your products...

9. Product Management A-Z: Excel as a PM & Build great Products

udemy
4.7
(764)

Product Management course (with Live Case Exercises & inputs from PMs @Top Tech cos.)- Build n Grow products & Get Hired...

10. Product and Service Management

udemy
4.7
(957)

Know the Work that is Involved in Getting a Product Onto the Shelf and a Service Ready for Effective Delivery...

11. Product Management: Mastering Product Roadmaps 2023

udemy
4.5
(386)

A complete guide to building a roadmap that works for both your product team and your stakeholders...

12. Smart Tips: Product Management

udemy
4.7
(656)

Find impact, innovation, and success as a product manager...

13. Time Management Mastery: Productivity & Goals

udemy
4.6
(876)

Practical guide to time management - master productivity and efficiency every day...

14. Product Design Management for Agile Practitioners

udemy
4.5
(1,111)

Application of product design management principles, concepts, tools and techniques in agile product management...

15. Advanced Product Management: Vision, Strategy & Metrics

udemy
4.5
(8,207)

Learn the skills Product Managers use every day. Vision, strategy, & advanced metrics for Product Managers...

16. Product Management Certification+Agile Product Owner+Scrum

udemy
4.3
(1,454)

Overview of Agile product management+Online Certification PSPO I Certification Tips for Scrum Product Owner+User Stories...

17. Advanced Product Management: Leadership & Communication

udemy
4.5
(2,424)

Accelerate your Product Management career. Master communication, people management, & leadership...

18. Smart Tips: Time Management & Productivity

udemy
4.5
(10,588)

Master time management and equip yourself with tools and strategies to be highly productive at work and home...

19. Product Management for Maximum Impact

udemy
4.5
(264)

Product Management Videos, Insights, Success Metrics...

20. The Product Management for AI & Data Science Course

udemy
4.3
(5,007)

The Complete Course for Becoming a Successful Product Manager in the Field of AI & Data Science...

Top 10 most affordable universities for senior production managers

The most affordable schools for senior production managers are University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez, suny farmingdale, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for senior production 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 production managers.

1. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

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 senior production managers

The hardest universities for senior production managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for senior production 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 production 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

10. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

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

The easiest schools for senior production managers to get into are D'Youville College, university of the incarnate word, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average senior production manager salary by education level

According to our data, senior production managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $162,222 annually. Senior production managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $141,783.
Senior production manager education levelSenior production manager salary
Master's Degree$162,222
High School Diploma or Less$115,602
Bachelor's Degree$141,783
Some College/ Associate Degree$124,076

Senior production manager education FAQs

Search for senior production manager jobs

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.

Browse executive management jobs