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Branch sales manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a branch sales manager. Branch sales managers usually study business, marketing, or finance. 71% of branch sales managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,424 real branch sales manager resumes to see exactly what branch sales manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for branch sales managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain branch sales manager certifications that you should consider. These branch sales manager certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Certified Manager Certification (CM).

What education do you need to become a branch sales manager?

What degree do you need to be a branch sales manager?

The most common degree for branch sales managers is bachelor's degree, with 71% of branch sales managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 71%
  • Associate, 14%
  • Master's, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a branch sales manager?

You should major in business to become a branch sales manager. 43% of branch sales managers major in business. Other common majors for a branch sales manager include marketing and finance.

Most common colleges for branch sales managers

Branch sales managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Ohio State University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for branch sales managers in the US based on their resumes.
Branch sales manager common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix18.73%
Ohio State University6.34%
University of Maryland - College Park5.14%
Texas State University5.14%
Purdue University5.14%

Best majors for branch sales managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business42.9%
2Marketing9.4%
3Finance6.2%
4Management6.1%
5Communication4.4%

Best colleges for branch sales managers

The best colleges for branch sales managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A branch sales 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 branch sales 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 branch sales managers.

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 branch sales managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for branch sales managers

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

If the best universities for branch sales 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 branch sales managers.

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 branch sales managers

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

Some great schools for branch sales 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 branch sales 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. 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 branch sales managers

The easiest schools for branch sales managers 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 a branch sales 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 branch sales managers.

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 branch sales manager salary by education level

Branch sales managers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $64,386 annually. With a Doctorate degree, branch sales managers earn a median annual income of $63,185 compared to $61,820 for branch sales managers with an Bachelor's degree.
Branch sales manager education levelBranch sales manager salary
Master's Degree$64,386
High School Diploma or Less$56,543
Bachelor's Degree$61,820
Doctorate Degree$63,185
Some College/ Associate Degree$56,529

Branch sales manager 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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