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Business development associate education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a business development associate. Business development associates usually study business, marketing, or communication. 78% of business development associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 5,316 real business development associate resumes to see exactly what business development associate education sections show.
The most common colleges for business development associates are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online business development associate courses to help get the education required to be a business development associate.
There are certain business development associate certifications that you should consider. These business development associate certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become a business development associate?
What degree do you need to be a business development associate?
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a business development associate?
- Business, 28%
- Marketing, 10%
- Communication, 9%
- Finance, 8%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for business development associates
| Business development associate common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 10.68% |
| University of California - Davis | 8.41% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.31% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.15% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 5.99% |
Best majors for business development associates
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 27.6% |
| 2 | Marketing | 10.4% |
| 3 | Communication | 8.8% |
| 4 | Finance | 7.6% |
| 5 | Political Science | 7.3% |
Best colleges for business development associates
The best colleges for business development associates are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
A business development associate 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 development associates. 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 development associates.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
8. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
9. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
10. SUNY College at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,369
Enrollment
5,229
20 best online courses for business development associates
Advertising disclosure
1. Business Strategy Development: The Art of Differentiation
Learn 3 key business strategy tools. Improve your business innovation skills and drive profitable business development...
2. 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...
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The Complete Startup Playbook for Business Development & B2B Sales to learn Lead Generation, Pitching, & Closing Deals...
4. Business Mind - Mastering Business Development
Master in Practice the Product, Sales and Marketing Perspective of Business Development...
5. Cold Calling Mastery
Become fantastic at Cold Calling - making cold calls for lead generation, sales, & business development...
6. Business Development For Startups and Tech Companies
Unlock massive growth using the business development channel. Learn pitching, BD strategy, cold emailing, & deal closing...
7. Business Communication Skills: Handling Clients & Customers
Soft Skills Training Social Skills Business Etiquette Business English Customer Service Training...
8. The Complete Sales Skills Master Class - Sales Marketing B2B
Master Sales Skills, Marketing Strategy, B2B Sales, Business Development, Lead Generation Using Top Social Skills...
9. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience
Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...
10. Executive Coaching and Business Case Development
The Guide to Executive Coaching and Business Case Development Success...
11. Customer Service: 6 Keys To Exceptional Customer Service
Master Customer Satisfaction & Astonish Your Customers With A+ Customer Service...
12. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives
Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...
13. The Ultimate Guide to Startup Business Development
Learn and master the function of business development in this practical, actionable, and content-rich training course...
14. Lead Generation Machine: Cold Email B2B Sales Master Course
Schedule meetings emailing small to large companies for business development, B2B, startup, consultants, & entrepreneurs...
15. Getting Started with Call Center Training
Call Center Training is essential for both new hires and existing staff to sharpen their skills and feel motivated...
16. Customer Service Training: Dealing with Difficult Customers
Learn how to deal with difficult customers Master customer relationship management Gain conflict management skills...
17. A Business Manager's Complete Guide to SalesForce CRM
Improve collaboration, elevate proficiency and facilitate more productive business relationships in your organization...
18. The Real Estate Development Modeling Master Class
The Complete Guide To Building Real Estate Development Pro Forma Models From Scratch For Smarter Real Estate Investing...
19. Start Improving Customer Service
Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...
20. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First
Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...
Top 10 most affordable universities for business development associates
The most affordable schools for business development associates are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and florida international university.
If the best universities for business development associates 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 development associates.
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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business development associates
The hardest universities for business development associates to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for business development associates 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 development associates 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
9. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business development associates
The easiest schools for business development associates to get into are Barry University, 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 development associate 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 development associates.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
Average business development associate salary by education level
| Business development associate education level | Business development associate salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $83,540 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $71,551 |
| Doctorate Degree | $85,892 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $57,106 |
Business development associate 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