Associate director of sales education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an associate director of sales. Associate directors of sales usually study business, marketing, or communication. 75% of associate directors of sales hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 951 real associate director of sales resumes to see exactly what associate director of sales education sections show.

The most common colleges for associate directors of sales are the New York University and the New York University.

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

What education do you need to become an associate director of sales?

What degree do you need to be an associate director of sales?

The most common degree for associate directors of sales is bachelor's degree, with 75% of associate directors of sales earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 75%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 7%

Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an associate director of sales?

You should major in business to become an associate director of sales. 29% of associate directors of sales major in business. Other common majors for an associate director of sales include marketing and communication.

Business, 29%

Marketing, 12%

Communication, 9%

Hospitality Management, 7%

Other Majors, 43%

Most common colleges for associate directors of sales

Associate directors of sales often get their degrees at New York University, Northeastern University, and Johnson & Wales University. Here are the most common colleges for associate directors of sales in the US based on their resumes.

Associate director of sales common college	Percentages
New York University	7.63%
Northeastern University	7.63%
Johnson & Wales University	6.78%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	6.78%
University of California, Santa Barbara	5.93%

Show more common associate director of sales colleges

Best majors for associate directors of sales

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	28.8%
2	Marketing	11.6%
3	Communication	8.7%
4	Hospitality Management	6.8%
5	Political Science	4.4%

Show more common associate director of sales majors

Best colleges for associate directors of sales

The best colleges for associate directors of sales are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

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

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

5. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

20 best online courses for associate directors of sales

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Top 10 most affordable universities for associate directors of sales

The most affordable schools for associate directors of sales are USF Sarasota-Manatee, university of florida, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for associate directors of sales 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 associate directors of sales.

1. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for associate directors of sales

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

Some great schools for associate directors of sales 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 associate directors of sales 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for associate directors of sales

The easiest schools for associate directors of sales to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, mount saint mary's university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

7. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average associate director of sales salary by education level

Associate directors of sales with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $161,711 annually. With a Doctorate degree, associate directors of sales earn a median annual income of $154,552 compared to $146,639 for associate directors of sales with an Bachelor's degree.

Associate director of sales education level	Associate director of sales salary
Master's Degree	$161,711
High School Diploma or Less	$118,315
Bachelor's Degree	$146,639
Doctorate Degree	$154,552
Some College/ Associate Degree	$118,241

Associate director of sales education FAQs

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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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