Talent acquisition manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a talent acquisition manager. Talent acquisition managers usually study business, human resources management, or psychology. 77% of talent acquisition managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,197 real talent acquisition manager resumes to see exactly what talent acquisition manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for talent acquisition managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain talent acquisition manager certifications that you should consider. These talent acquisition manager certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP).

What education do you need to become a talent acquisition manager?

What degree do you need to be a talent acquisition manager?

The most common degree for talent acquisition managers is bachelor's degree, with 77% of talent acquisition managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 77%

Master's, 13%

Associate, 7%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a talent acquisition manager?

You should major in business to become a talent acquisition manager. 32% of talent acquisition managers major in business. Other common majors for a talent acquisition manager include human resources management and psychology.

Business, 32%

Human Resources Management, 14%

Psychology, 9%

Communication, 8%

Other Majors, 37%

Most common colleges for talent acquisition managers

Talent acquisition managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Pennsylvania State University, and San Jose State University. Here are the most common colleges for talent acquisition managers in the US based on their resumes.

Talent acquisition manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	17.87%
Pennsylvania State University	5.96%
San Jose State University	5.33%
Ashford University	4.70%
University of Central Florida	4.70%

Show more common talent acquisition manager colleges

Best majors for talent acquisition managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	32.0%
2	Human Resources Management	14.0%
3	Psychology	9.0%
4	Communication	7.8%
5	Marketing	5.2%

Show more common talent acquisition manager majors

Best colleges for talent acquisition managers

The best colleges for talent acquisition managers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

A talent acquisition 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 talent acquisition 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 talent acquisition managers.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

10. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

20 best online courses for talent acquisition managers

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4. Talent Management basics: learn modern Human Resources (HR)

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7. Recruiting Talent: How to find & attract the best candidates

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15. Human Resources (HR) as a Business Partner

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20. Boolean Search for Recruitment & Sourcing (Human Resource)

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Top 10 most affordable universities for talent acquisition managers

The most affordable schools for talent acquisition managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.

If the best universities for talent acquisition 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 talent acquisition 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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

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 talent acquisition managers

The hardest universities for talent acquisition managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for talent acquisition 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 talent acquisition 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for talent acquisition managers

The easiest schools for talent acquisition managers to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

9. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average talent acquisition manager salary by education level

Talent acquisition managers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $116,958 annually. With a Master's degree, talent acquisition managers earn a median annual income of $112,040 compared to $99,410 for talent acquisition managers with an Bachelor's degree.

Talent acquisition manager education level	Talent acquisition manager salary
Master's Degree	$112,040
Bachelor's Degree	$99,410
Doctorate Degree	$116,958
Some College/ Associate Degree	$82,834

Talent acquisition manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Talent Acquisition Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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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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