Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Vice president & general manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a vice president & general manager. Vice president & general managers usually study business, marketing, or finance. 72% of vice president & general managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 10,220 real vice president & general manager resumes to see exactly what vice president & general manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for vice president & general managers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online vice president & general manager courses to help get the education required to be a vice president & general manager.
There are certain vice president & general manager certifications that you should consider. These vice president & general manager certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Program Management Professional (PgMP).
What education do you need to become a vice president & general manager?
What degree do you need to be a vice president & general manager?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a vice president & general manager?
- Business, 36%
- Marketing, 8%
- Finance, 7%
- Management, 6%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for vice president & general managers
| Vice president & general manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 7.70% |
| Ohio State University | 6.95% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.63% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.20% |
| Northeastern University | 6.20% |
Best majors for vice president & general managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 36.1% |
| 2 | Marketing | 7.8% |
| 3 | Finance | 6.5% |
| 4 | Management | 5.9% |
| 5 | Accounting | 5.9% |
Best colleges for vice president & general managers
The best colleges for vice president & general managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A vice president & general 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 vice president & general 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 vice president & general managers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
9. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
20 best online courses for vice president & general managers
Advertising disclosure
1. Product Management Marketing: Dekker's Product Marketing MBA
Be a Product Marketing Manager - Product Management : Product Manager MBA : Product to Market : Product Owner Launch GTM...
2. LinkedIn Advanced. Lead Generation Strategies For B2B Sales
The Linked In Marketing Masterclass for Linked In Lead Generation and Business Development for B2B Sales. Remote Strategy...
3. Lead Generation & Business Development with Dekker Fraser
Customer Acquisition, B2B Marketing, Sales Funnels, Business Development, Demand Generation, Sales Funnel Marketing...
4. Product Management Fundamentals
Case-based practical course on product management to build strong foundations in product concepts, process & frameworks...
5. Sales Fire: B2B Sales & Business Development for Startups
The Ultimate Sales Methodology for Business Development & B2B Sales to Learn Sales Strategy, Sales Skills & Deal Closing...
6. Business Development & B2B Sales for Startups- Sales Valley
The Complete Startup Playbook for Business Development & B2B Sales to learn Lead Generation, Pitching, & Closing Deals...
7. Managing Generational Conflict
Powerful knowledge for managing & reducing conflict, increasing engagement & productivity, and turning customers to fans...
8. Product Management 101
Learn to become a more strategic product manager - and have a greater impact on your company and your products...
9. Product and Service Management
Know the Work that is Involved in Getting a Product Onto the Shelf and a Service Ready for Effective Delivery...
10. Product Management for Maximum Impact
Product Management Videos, Insights, Success Metrics...
11. CRM: Customer Relationship Management
Practical Ideas To Generate Sales, Loyalty And Repeat Business Fast...
12. Product Management Crash Course; IT Product Management
Product Management Essentials & Product Management Fundamentals to kick-start your career in Product Management...
13. Comprehensive Product management for Product managers
Become a great product manager with comprehensive product management Real world case study with JIRA & Confluence...
14. Product Marketing Launch Plan: Product GTM with Dekker, MBA
Product Management Marketing Strategy, Marketing Plan, Product Marketing Manager, Product Manager Marketing Plan...
15. Insightful Customer Interviews for Product Managers
Direct conversations with real customers to gain insight, test product concepts, and drive product success...
16. Business Mind - Mastering Business Development
Master in Practice the Product, Sales and Marketing Perspective of Business Development...
17. LinkedIn Marketing, Lead Generation & B2B Sales for LinkedIn
Linked In Machine: The Linked In Master Class to learn Linked In Marketing, Lead Generation, Business Development, B2B Sales...
18. Sales Analysis for Management Consultants
A practical guide on how to improve sales and marketing of your customers during consulting projects like Mc Kinsey, BCG,...
19. Operations Management: Supply Chains, Products and Services
Master Supply Chain Management and Product and Service Development in Manufacturing and Service Organizations...
20. Advanced Product Management: Vision, Strategy & Metrics
Learn the skills Product Managers use every day. Vision, strategy, & advanced metrics for Product Managers...
Top 10 most affordable universities for vice president & general managers
The most affordable schools for vice president & general managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.
If the best universities for vice president & general 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 vice president & general 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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for vice president & general managers
The hardest universities for vice president & general managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for vice president & general 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 vice president & general 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for vice president & general managers
The easiest schools for vice president & general managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a vice president & general 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 vice president & general managers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average vice president & general manager salary by education level
| Vice president & general manager education level | Vice president & general manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $228,014 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $155,624 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $194,007 |
| Doctorate Degree | $218,925 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $160,825 |
Vice president & general manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for vice president & general manager jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025