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Business developer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a business developer. Business developers usually study business, marketing, or communication. 72% of business developers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 22,861 real business developer resumes to see exactly what business developer education sections show.
The most common colleges for business developers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online business developer courses to help get the education required to be a business developer.
There are certain business developer certifications that you should consider. These business developer certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Professional Certified Marketer (PCM).
What education do you need to become a business developer?
What degree do you need to be a business developer?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a business developer?
- Business, 35%
- Marketing, 10%
- Communication, 7%
- Finance, 6%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for business developers
| Business developer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 13.20% |
| Arizona State University | 6.54% |
| Texas A&M University | 6.25% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.14% |
| University of Houston | 5.28% |
Best majors for business developers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 34.6% |
| 2 | Marketing | 9.7% |
| 3 | Communication | 6.5% |
| 4 | Finance | 6.1% |
| 5 | Management | 5.3% |
Best colleges for business developers
The best colleges for business developers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
A business developer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for business developers. 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 business developers.
1. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
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. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for business developers
Advertising disclosure
1. Business Communication Skills: Handling Clients & Customers
Soft Skills Training Social Skills Business Etiquette Business English Customer Service Training...
2. Business Strategy Development: The Art of Differentiation
Learn 3 key business strategy tools. Improve your business innovation skills and drive profitable business development...
3. CRM: Customer Relationship Management
Practical Ideas To Generate Sales, Loyalty And Repeat Business Fast...
4. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience
Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...
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 Mind - Mastering Business Development
Master in Practice the Product, Sales and Marketing Perspective of Business Development...
7. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service
Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...
8. A Business Manager's Complete Guide to SalesForce CRM
Improve collaboration, elevate proficiency and facilitate more productive business relationships in your organization...
9. Customer Service: 6 Keys To Exceptional Customer Service
Master Customer Satisfaction & Astonish Your Customers With A+ Customer Service...
10. Customer Service Training: Dealing with Difficult Customers
Learn how to deal with difficult customers Master customer relationship management Gain conflict management skills...
11. Start Improving Customer Service
Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...
12. Customer Service
How to Approach New Customers and Maintain Existing Ones...
13. Customer Retention: Maximise Your Profits
How CRM, Customer Care, Customer Service, Customer Satisfaction, and Customer Experience will 10X your profits...
14. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...
15. Business Development & B2B Sales for Startups- Sales Valley
The Complete Startup Playbook for Business Development & B2B Sales to learn Lead Generation, Pitching, & Closing Deals...
16. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives
Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...
17. Brilliant Customer Service: How to Impress your Customers!
Enhance your customer support and truly differentiate yourself from your competition!...
18. Customer Service: How to sell more without advertising
Learn how to create a customer experience that earns you customer loyalty and creates word of mouth advertising...
19. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First
Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...
20. Practical Customer Development
The Mom Test with Rob Fitzpatrick...
Top 10 most affordable universities for business developers
The most affordable schools for business developers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for business developers 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 business developers.
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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. Dickinson State University
Dickinson, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$6,768
Cost of attendance
15,506
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. Brigham Young University - Hawaii
Laie, HI • Private
In-state tuition
$5,560
Cost of attendance
18,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business developers
The hardest universities for business developers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
Some great schools for business developers 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 business developers 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business developers
The easiest schools for business developers to get into are D'Youville College, holy names university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a business developer 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 business developers.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average business developer salary by education level
| Business developer education level | Business developer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $126,623 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $110,439 |
| Doctorate Degree | $129,766 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $90,502 |
Business developer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025