Software development manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a software development manager. Software development managers usually study computer science, electrical engineering, or business. 71% of software development managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,991 real software development manager resumes to see exactly what software development manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for software development managers are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

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

There are certain software development manager certifications that you should consider. These software development manager certifications include Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Project Management Professional (PMP).

What education do you need to become a software development manager?

What degree do you need to be a software development manager?

The most common degree for software development managers is bachelor's degree, with 71% of software development managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 21% and master's degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 71%

Master's, 21%

Associate, 4%

Doctorate, 2%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a software development manager?

You should major in computer science to become a software development manager. 38% of software development managers major in computer science. Other common majors for a software development manager include electrical engineering and business.

Computer Science, 38%

Electrical Engineering, 12%

Business, 9%

Computer Engineering, 9%

Other Majors, 32%

Most common colleges for software development managers

Software development managers often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, Brigham Young University, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for software development managers in the US based on their resumes.

Software development manager common college	Percentages
University of California - Davis	7.47%
Brigham Young University	6.27%
University of California, Santa Barbara	6.27%
University of Maryland - College Park	5.78%
University of Texas at Austin	5.78%

Show more common software development manager colleges

Best majors for software development managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	37.8%
2	Electrical Engineering	11.5%
3	Business	9.3%
4	Computer Engineering	8.5%
5	Computer Information Systems	4.9%

Show more common software development manager majors

Best colleges for software development managers

The best colleges for software development managers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A software development 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 software development 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 software development managers.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

20 best online courses for software development managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for software development managers

The most affordable schools for software development managers are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for software development 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 software development managers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for software development managers

The hardest universities for software development managers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for software development 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 software development 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for software development managers

The easiest schools for software development managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and nyack college.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

10. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

Average software development manager salary by education level

Software development managers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $154,307 annually. With a Doctorate degree, software development managers earn a median annual income of $153,102 compared to $140,904 for software development managers with an Bachelor's degree.

Software development manager education level	Software development manager salary
Master's Degree	$154,307
Bachelor's Degree	$140,904
Doctorate Degree	$153,102
Some College/ Associate Degree	$121,572

Software development manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Software Development 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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