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Systems manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a systems manager. Systems managers usually study business, computer science, or electrical engineering. 66% of systems managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 8,895 real systems manager resumes to see exactly what systems manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for systems managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online systems manager courses to help get the education required to be a systems manager.
There are certain systems manager certifications that you should consider. These systems manager certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL).
What education do you need to become a systems manager?
What degree do you need to be a systems manager?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 13%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a systems manager?
- Business, 23%
- Computer Science, 17%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for systems managers
| Systems manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 15.96% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.57% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.10% |
| Northeastern University | 5.95% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 5.32% |
Best majors for systems managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 23.4% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 17.1% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 8.5% |
| 4 | Computer Information Systems | 6.1% |
| 5 | Accounting | 5.5% |
Best colleges for systems managers
The best colleges for systems managers are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
A systems 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 systems 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 systems managers.
1. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for systems managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for systems managers
The most affordable schools for systems managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for systems 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 systems managers.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for systems managers
The hardest universities for systems managers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for systems 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 systems 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for systems managers
The easiest schools for systems managers to get into are Barry University, capitol technology university, and ottawa university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a systems 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 systems managers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
3. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
4. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
8. Chestnut Hill College
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,026
9. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
10. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
Average systems manager salary by education level
| Systems manager education level | Systems manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $118,562 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $110,781 |
| Doctorate Degree | $121,136 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $91,692 |
Systems manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025