Transit service manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a transit service manager. Transit service managers usually study business, computer science, or criminal justice. 56% of transit service managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 207 real transit service manager resumes to see exactly what transit service manager education sections show.

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

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

What education do you need to become a transit service manager?

What degree do you need to be a transit service manager?

The most common degree for transit service managers is bachelor's degree, with 56% of transit service managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 56%

Master's, 20%

Associate, 13%

Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a transit service manager?

You should major in business to become a transit service manager. 24% of transit service managers major in business. Other common majors for a transit service manager include computer science and criminal justice.

Business, 24%

Computer Science, 15%

Criminal Justice, 7%

Social Work, 6%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for transit service managers

Transit service managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Houston - Downtown, and St. Louis. Here are the most common colleges for transit service managers in the US based on their resumes.

Transit service manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	19.44%
University of Houston - Downtown	8.33%
St. Louis	8.33%
Webster University	5.56%
American University	5.56%

Show more common transit service manager colleges

Best majors for transit service managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	24.4%
2	Computer Science	15.1%
3	Criminal Justice	6.7%
4	Social Work	5.9%
5	Nursing	5.0%

Show more common transit service manager majors

Best colleges for transit service managers

The best colleges for transit service managers are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A transit service 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 transit service 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 transit service 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. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

20 best online courses for transit service managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for transit service managers

The most affordable schools for transit service managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - los angeles, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for transit service 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 transit service 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. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

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 Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for transit service managers

The hardest universities for transit service managers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for transit service 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 transit service 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

SAT average

1,492

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for transit service managers

The easiest schools for transit service managers to get into are Barry University, ottawa university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

9. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

10. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

Average transit service manager salary by education level

According to our data, transit service managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $102,392 annually. Transit service managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $100,275.

Transit service manager education level	Transit service manager salary
Master's Degree	$100,275
Bachelor's Degree	$93,868
Doctorate Degree	$102,392
Some College/ Associate Degree	$78,097

Transit service manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Transit Service 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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