Tax manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a tax manager. Tax managers usually study accounting, business, or taxation. 68% of tax managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,610 real tax manager resumes to see exactly what tax manager education sections show.

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

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

There are certain tax manager certifications that you should consider. These tax manager certifications include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Oracle Enterprise Taxation Management 2 Essentials.

What education do you need to become a tax manager?

What degree do you need to be a tax manager?

The most common degree for tax managers is bachelor's degree, with 68% of tax managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 68%

Master's, 22%

Associate, 4%

Doctorate, 3%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a tax manager?

You should major in accounting to become a tax manager. 52% of tax managers major in accounting. Other common majors for a tax manager include business and taxation.

Accounting, 52%

Business, 19%

Taxation, 9%

Finance, 4%

Other Majors, 16%

Most common colleges for tax managers

Tax managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Pace University, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for tax managers in the US based on their resumes.

Tax manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	7.77%
Pace University	7.35%
University of Houston	7.35%
Golden Gate University	6.09%
DePaul University	6.09%

Show more common tax manager colleges

Best majors for tax managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Accounting	52.5%
2	Business	19.4%
3	Taxation	8.9%
4	Finance	4.3%
5	Law	2.6%

Show more common tax manager majors

Best colleges for tax managers

The best colleges for tax managers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Villanova University.

A tax 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 tax 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 tax managers.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

3. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

6. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

10. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

20 best online courses for tax managers

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20. Tax Strategies of the Wealthy

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How the Rich Get Richer Through Taxes...

Top 10 most affordable universities for tax managers

The most affordable schools for tax managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for tax 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 tax 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. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for tax managers

The hardest universities for tax managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Villanova University.

Some great schools for tax 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 tax 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. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for tax managers

The easiest schools for tax managers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur 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 tax 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 tax managers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

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. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

9. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average tax manager salary by education level

Tax managers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $121,871 annually. With a Master's degree, tax managers earn a median annual income of $116,879 compared to $104,272 for tax managers with an Bachelor's degree.

Tax manager education level	Tax manager salary
Master's Degree	$116,879
High School Diploma or Less	$87,009
Bachelor's Degree	$104,272
Doctorate Degree	$121,871
Some College/ Associate Degree	$87,000

Tax manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Tax 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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