Advertising sales director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an advertising sales director. Advertising sales directors usually study business, marketing, or communication. 87% of advertising sales directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 5% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 553 real advertising sales director resumes to see exactly what advertising sales director education sections show.

The most common colleges for advertising sales directors are the Temple University and the Temple University.

There are also many online advertising sales director courses to help get the education required to be an advertising sales director.

What education do you need to become an advertising sales director?

What degree do you need to be an advertising sales director?

The most common degree for advertising sales directors is bachelor's degree, with 87% of advertising sales directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 5% and master's degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 87%

Master's, 5%

Associate, 5%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an advertising sales director?

You should major in business to become an advertising sales director. 21% of advertising sales directors major in business. Other common majors for an advertising sales director include marketing and communication.

Business, 21%

Marketing, 15%

Communication, 11%

Advertising, 6%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for advertising sales directors

Advertising sales directors often get their degrees at Temple University, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and University of Connecticut. Here are the most common colleges for advertising sales directors in the US based on their resumes.

Advertising sales director common college	Percentages
Temple University	8.33%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	7.14%
University of Connecticut	5.95%
The University of Alabama	5.95%
Appalachian State University	5.95%

Show more common advertising sales director colleges

Best majors for advertising sales directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	21.0%
2	Marketing	15.0%
3	Communication	10.8%
4	Advertising	6.0%
5	Management	5.4%

Show more common advertising sales director majors

Best colleges for advertising sales directors

The best colleges for advertising sales directors are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

An advertising sales director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for advertising sales directors. 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 advertising sales directors.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

20 best online courses for advertising sales directors

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Practical, Hands-on Sales Techniques and Tools to Effortlessly Engage your Customers In Your Sales Presentations...

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The Complete Startup Playbook for Business Development & B2B Sales to learn Lead Generation, Pitching, & Closing Deals...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for advertising sales directors

The most affordable schools for advertising sales directors are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for advertising sales directors 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 advertising sales directors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for advertising sales directors

The hardest universities for advertising sales directors to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for advertising sales directors 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 advertising sales directors 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

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. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

10. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for advertising sales directors

The easiest schools for advertising sales directors to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an advertising sales director 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 advertising sales directors.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

Average advertising sales director salary by education level

According to our data, advertising sales directors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $85,128 annually. Advertising sales directors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $82,728.

Advertising sales director education level	Advertising sales director salary
Master's Degree	$85,128
Bachelor's Degree	$82,728

Advertising sales director education FAQs

What is the best college for Advertising Sales Directors?

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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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