Technical project manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a technical project manager. Technical project managers usually study business, computer science, or electrical engineering. 66% of technical project managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 12,812 real technical project manager resumes to see exactly what technical project manager education sections show.

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

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

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

What education do you need to become a technical project manager?

What degree do you need to be a technical project manager?

The most common degree for technical project managers is bachelor's degree, with 66% of technical project managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 66%

Master's, 18%

Associate, 10%

Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a technical project manager?

You should major in business to become a technical project manager. 20% of technical project managers major in business. Other common majors for a technical project manager include computer science and electrical engineering.

Business, 20%

Computer Science, 17%

Electrical Engineering, 11%

Computer Information Systems, 6%

Other Majors, 46%

Most common colleges for technical project managers

Technical project managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, George Washington University, The, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for technical project managers in the US based on their resumes.

Technical project manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	16.41%
George Washington University, The	7.47%
University of Maryland - College Park	7.29%
DeVry University	6.75%
New York University	5.56%

Show more common technical project manager colleges

Best majors for technical project managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	20.4%
2	Computer Science	17.0%
3	Electrical Engineering	10.6%
4	Computer Information Systems	6.3%
5	Project Management	4.9%

Show more common technical project manager majors

Best colleges for technical project managers

The best colleges for technical project managers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A technical project 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 technical project 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 technical project 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. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

20 best online courses for technical project managers

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2. Microsoft Project ADVANCED: Project Management Technics 3PDU

4.6

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MS PROJECT 2016 ADVANCED Project Management Techniques -incl Enterprise level. HANDS-ON from #1 BESTSELLING INSTRUCTOR...

3. IT Business Analyst & Project Managers Technical awareness

4.5

(799)

A quick introduction to software development & IT for business analyst and non technical managers overseeing IT teams...

4. Project Management: Simple Software Project Management

4.4

(1,144)

Project Management for NEW Project Managers - knowledge, tools, techniques, skills, checklists, guidelines, pitfalls...

5. Master Course in Project Management 2.0

4.2

(490)

Project Management, PMP, Agile project management, Project manager, Prince2, Scrum, Project Planning, Project risk cost...

6. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery

4.5

(82,218)

Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...

7. The Agile Methodology for Project Risk Managers

(348)

The Agile Project Management and Risk Management for Project Professionals Full Course...

8. Agile Project Management Bootcamp: Agile Project Management

4.5

(1,916)

This Agile Project Management Bootcamp course will allow you to learn the Agile Way! Agile Project Management (Scrum)...

9. Software Project Management - The complete course

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Project management in software development in traditional and agile projects...

10. Project Management - Complete Guide For A+ Project Managers

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Complete guide to project management - stakeholders, planning, cost, quality, risks, feasibility, methods & resourcing...

11. Mastering Agile Scrum Project Management

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Review and master agile development & scrum methodologies for your career...

12. Project Management Essentials

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A crash course in the essentials of project management for new project managers...

13. The Project Management Course: Beginner to PROject Manager

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The Complete Course For Becoming A Successful Project Manager...

14. Beginning Project Management: Project Management Level One

4.6

(28,219)

Project Management: Growing a Successful Career as a Project Manager...

15. Project Management Office (PMO) Setup Guide

4.4

(471)

PMO Step-by-Step Implementation Plan...

16. Project Management: Becoming a Successful Project manager

4.4

(250)

Project Management...

17. Project Management Course: Master Project Scope Management

4.3

(457)

Practical guide to scope development and management - Project Management Certification (PMP, CAPM) Training [Earn 11PDU]...

18. Professional Diploma in Project Management

4.2

(1,059)

Introduction to main areas and tools of project management...

19. Manage Project Risks Impeccably (12 PDUs, RMP - PMP) PMBOK 7

4.4

(1,034)

PMI Project Risk Management RMP Certification Program Course. Practical & easy to follow Use Case Project. PMBOK 7...

20. Practical Project Management for Management Consultants

4.5

(809)

How to manage successfully a consulting project - a practical guide for Project Managers...

Top 10 most affordable universities for technical project managers

The most affordable schools for technical project managers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for technical project 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 technical project managers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for technical project managers

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

Some great schools for technical project 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 technical project 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for technical project managers

The easiest schools for technical project managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

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. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average technical project manager salary by education level

Technical project managers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $123,044 annually. With a Doctorate degree, technical project managers earn a median annual income of $122,133 compared to $112,887 for technical project managers with an Bachelor's degree.

Technical project manager education level	Technical project manager salary
Master's Degree	$123,044
Bachelor's Degree	$112,887
Doctorate Degree	$122,133
Some College/ Associate Degree	$98,149

Technical project manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Technical Project 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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