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Business executive education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a business executive. Business executives usually study business, marketing, or finance. 67% of business executives hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,542 real business executive resumes to see exactly what business executive education sections show.
The most common colleges for business executives are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online business executive courses to help get the education required to be a business executive.
There are certain business executive certifications that you should consider. These business executive certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).
What education do you need to become a business executive?
What degree do you need to be a business executive?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 7%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a business executive?
- Business, 32%
- Marketing, 10%
- Finance, 6%
- Accounting, 6%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for business executives
| Business executive common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.54% |
| Ohio State University | 7.69% |
| Syracuse University | 6.15% |
| Illinois State University | 5.38% |
| Howard University | 5.38% |
Best majors for business executives
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 32.0% |
| 2 | Marketing | 9.5% |
| 3 | Finance | 6.3% |
| 4 | Accounting | 5.9% |
| 5 | Management | 4.8% |
Best colleges for business executives
The best colleges for business executives are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A business executive 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 executives. 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 executives.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
9. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
20 best online courses for business executives
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Top 10 most affordable universities for business executives
The most affordable schools for business executives are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.
If the best universities for business executives 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 executives.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business executives
The hardest universities for business executives to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for business executives 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 executives 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business executives
The easiest schools for business executives to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a business executive 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 executives.
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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average business executive salary by education level
| Business executive education level | Business executive salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $100,455 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $53,161 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $76,755 |
| Doctorate Degree | $93,873 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $56,154 |
Business executive education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025