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Advance agent education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an advance agent. Advance agents usually study business, criminal justice, or management. 48% of advance agents hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 87 real advance agent resumes to see exactly what advance agent education sections show.

The most common colleges for advance agents are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online advance agent courses to help get the education required to be an advance agent.

What education do you need to become an advance agent?

What degree do you need to be an advance agent?

The most common degree for advance agents is bachelor's degree, with 48% of advance agents earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 19%.
  • Bachelor's, 48%
  • Master's, 22%
  • Associate, 19%
  • High School Diploma, 11%

What should I major in to become an advance agent?

You should major in business to become an advance agent. 18% of advance agents major in business. Other common majors for an advance agent include criminal justice and management.

Most common colleges for advance agents

Advance agents often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Illinois at Chicago, and University of Southern California. Here are the most common colleges for advance agents in the US based on their resumes.
Advance agent common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix16.00%
University of Illinois at Chicago8.00%
University of Southern California8.00%
Western Washington University4.00%
Mercyhurst University4.00%

Best majors for advance agents

Best colleges for advance agents

The best colleges for advance agents are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

An advance agent with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for advance agents. 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 advance agents.

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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

10. Texas Wesleyan University

Fort Worth, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$30,300

Enrollment

1,445

20 best online courses for advance agents

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4. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First

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7. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer

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Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...

8. Customer Service

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How to Approach New Customers and Maintain Existing Ones...

9. Customer Service Basics: Improve your Service now

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Top 10 most affordable universities for advance agents

The most affordable schools for advance agents are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and fashion institute of technology.

If the best universities for advance agents 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 advance agents.

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. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for advance agents

The hardest universities for advance agents to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for advance agents 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 advance agents 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

8. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for advance agents

The easiest schools for advance agents to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an advance agent 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 advance agents.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,080

5. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

Average advance agent salary by education level

Advance agents with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $41,381 annually. With a Associate degree, advance agents earn a median annual income of $38,200 compared to $30,996 for advance agents with an High School Diploma degree.
Advance agent education levelAdvance agent salary
High School Diploma or Less$30,996
Bachelor's Degree$41,381
Some College/ Associate Degree$38,200

Advance agent education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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