Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Service program manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a service program manager. Service program managers usually study business, psychology, or social work. 66% of service program managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,423 real service program manager resumes to see exactly what service program manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for service program managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online service program manager courses to help get the education required to be a service program manager.
There are certain service program manager certifications that you should consider. These service program manager certifications include IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become a service program manager?
What degree do you need to be a service program manager?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 9%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a service program manager?
- Business, 25%
- Psychology, 12%
- Social Work, 9%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for service program managers
| Service program manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 20.68% |
| George Washington University, The | 8.22% |
| San Jose State University | 5.95% |
| New York University | 5.10% |
| University of Washington | 4.82% |
Best majors for service program managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 25.2% |
| 2 | Psychology | 11.7% |
| 3 | Social Work | 9.0% |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering | 5.0% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 5.0% |
Best colleges for service program managers
The best colleges for service program managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.
A service program 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 service program 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 service program managers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. University of North Texas
Denton, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,852
Enrollment
31,375
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for service program managers
Advertising disclosure
1. Engaging in Service Innovation and Management
This course is the continuation of "Introduction to Service Innovation and Management". If you have not yet taken "Introduction to Service Innovation and Management", it is recommended that you complete that course prior to this course. The foundational knowledge and project plan from the introduction are carried through in this deeper dive into service innovation and management. This course will give you tools to examine initial plans for healthcare service/process redesign. You will be...
2. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives
Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...
3. Start Improving Customer Service
Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...
4. Customer Service Foundation
An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...
5. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service
Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...
6. IT service operations and Service Desk management
Improve Service Desk and IT support processes and service functions. Better preparation for the professional exam...
7. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience
Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...
8. The Operations Management Training Program
Learn how to design, plan, direct, and improve all the activities that transform resources into goods or services...
9. Windows Service Programming, Debugging, Installing in C#.Net
Windows Service Tutorial: How to Create Windows Services in C# .Net/Visual Studio, Windows Service debugging techniques...
10. SAP Customer Service (CS/SM) - Service Management module
Real World SAP CS and SD, Repair Orders, Service Orders, Service Contracts...
11. Customer Service Basics: Improve your Service now
The basic golden rules to kickstart your service...
12. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First
Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...
13. IT Service Management with ITIL 4 Foundation -Full Training
Learn about ITIL 4, ITSM, Concepts of Service Management, the Four Dimensions, Service Value System and Practices...
14. Customer Service Success: Take Your Skills to the Next Level
3-in-1 Customer Service Training: Levels 1, 2, 3 Improve Your Soft Communication Skills, Customer Support & Experience...
15. Operations Management: Supply Chains, Products and Services
Master Supply Chain Management and Product and Service Development in Manufacturing and Service Organizations...
16. Introduction to Service Management with ITIL 4
Learn about service management, four dimensions, guiding principles, service value system, and ITSM best practices...
17. Customer Service Training: Dealing with Difficult Customers
Learn how to deal with difficult customers Master customer relationship management Gain conflict management skills...
18. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service
Used by Chase®, Intel®, & more! Learn soft skills, social media customer service, diagnosing user problems, & more...
19. Outstanding Customer Service - The Ultimate Guide!
Unlocking the Powerful Secrets of OUTSTANDING Customer Service - Transform Your Business!...
20. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...
Top 10 most affordable universities for service program managers
The most affordable schools for service program managers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for service program 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 service program managers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for service program managers
The hardest universities for service program managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.
Some great schools for service program 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 service program 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for service program managers
The easiest schools for service program managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a service program 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 service program managers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
Average service program manager salary by education level
| Service program manager education level | Service program manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $93,940 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $79,335 |
| Doctorate Degree | $100,675 |
Service program manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for service program manager jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025