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Business development specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a business development specialist. Business development specialists usually study business, marketing, or communication. 73% of business development specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 6,945 real business development specialist resumes to see exactly what business development specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for business development specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online business development specialist courses to help get the education required to be a business development specialist.
There are certain business development specialist certifications that you should consider. These business development specialist certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become a business development specialist?
What degree do you need to be a business development specialist?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a business development specialist?
- Business, 33%
- Marketing, 11%
- Communication, 9%
- Finance, 5%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for business development specialists
| Business development specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 19.01% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.65% |
| Arizona State University | 5.31% |
| Ohio State University | 5.31% |
| University of South Florida | 4.97% |
Best majors for business development specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 32.7% |
| 2 | Marketing | 10.6% |
| 3 | Communication | 9.4% |
| 4 | Finance | 5.0% |
| 5 | Psychology | 4.9% |
Best colleges for business development specialists
The best colleges for business development specialists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
A business development specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.
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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
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. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
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 specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for business development specialists
The most affordable schools for business development specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for business development specialists 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 specialists.
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
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 development specialists
The hardest universities for business development specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for business development specialists 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 specialists 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. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
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. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business development specialists
The easiest schools for business development specialists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a business development specialist 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 specialists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
9. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
10. Manor College
Jenkintown, PA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
898
Average business development specialist salary by education level
| Business development specialist education level | Business development specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $70,392 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,007 |
| Doctorate Degree | $72,010 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,554 |
Business development specialist 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