Buyer education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a buyer?

You need a bachelor's degree in business, economics, merchandising, or a related field to be a buyer. If you want to be a fashion buyer, it would be a good idea to either study fashion merchandising, or be sure to take courses and internships that focus on fashion buying. Along with educational requirements, internships are essential for buyers. An internship during your undergraduate studies will help you learn how buyers work and will give you important real-world experience. Even with internship experience, you will have to still work up the ladder to become a buyer once you begin your entry-level position. If you do want to advance beyond a buyer's position, additional education may be required. A master's degree can be beneficial and make you a more desirable candidate. There are also various certifications that you can receive throughout your career to help you gain specialization and insight.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a buyer. Buyers usually study business, marketing, or accounting. 64% of buyers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 70,685 real buyer resumes to see exactly what buyer education sections show.

The most common colleges for buyers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online buyer courses to help get the education required to be a buyer.

There are certain buyer certifications that you should consider. These buyer certifications include Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) and Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP).

What education do you need to become a buyer?

What degree do you need to be a buyer?

The most common degree for buyers is bachelor's degree, with 64% of buyers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 64%

Associate, 18%

High School Diploma, 7%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a buyer?

You should major in business to become a buyer. 42% of buyers major in business. Other common majors for a buyer include marketing and accounting.

Business, 42%

Marketing, 7%

Accounting, 6%

Management, 5%

Other Majors, 40%

Most common colleges for buyers

Buyers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Michigan State University, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for buyers in the US based on their resumes.

Buyer common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	20.05%
Michigan State University	7.77%
University of Houston	7.50%
Pennsylvania State University	5.98%
Arizona State University	5.38%

Show more common buyer colleges

Best majors for buyers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	42.5%
2	Marketing	6.9%
3	Accounting	6.4%
4	Management	5.1%
5	Supply Chain Management	4.1%

Show more common buyer majors

Best colleges for buyers

The best colleges for buyers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A buyer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for buyers. 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 buyers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

3. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

7. University of Minnesota - Crookston

Crookston, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$11,822

Enrollment

1,834

8. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

20 best online courses for buyers

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7. SAP Materials Management (MM) Super User Training

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8. Laravel 9 - Build Complete Inventory Management System A-Z

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18. Procurement & Supply Planning tools and techniques.

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Top 10 most affordable universities for buyers

The most affordable schools for buyers are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.

If the best universities for buyers 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 buyers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for buyers

The hardest universities for buyers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for buyers 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 buyers 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

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 buyers

The easiest schools for buyers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a buyer 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 buyers.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

7. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

Average buyer salary by education level

Buyers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $65,714 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, buyers earn a median annual income of $60,533 compared to $50,001 for buyers with an Associate degree.

Buyer education level	Buyer salary
Master's Degree	$65,714
High School Diploma or Less	$49,438
Bachelor's Degree	$60,533
Some College/ Associate Degree	$50,001

Buyer education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a buyer?

What is the best college for Buyers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

Search for buyer jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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