Career agent education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a career agent. Career agents usually study business, psychology, or marketing. 68% of career agents hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 699 real career agent resumes to see exactly what career agent education sections show.

The most common colleges for career agents are the Eastern Illinois University and the Eastern Illinois University.

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

There are certain career agent certifications that you should consider. These career agent certifications include Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) and Medical Assistant.

What education do you need to become a career agent?

What degree do you need to be a career agent?

The most common degree for career agents is bachelor's degree, with 68% of career agents earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 68%

Associate, 13%

Master's, 10%

High School Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a career agent?

You should major in business to become a career agent. 31% of career agents major in business. Other common majors for a career agent include psychology and marketing.

Business, 31%

Psychology, 10%

Marketing, 6%

Accounting, 6%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for career agents

Career agents often get their degrees at Eastern Illinois University, University of Phoenix, and Norfolk State University. Here are the most common colleges for career agents in the US based on their resumes.

Career agent common college	Percentages
Eastern Illinois University	10.00%
University of Phoenix	8.75%
Norfolk State University	8.75%
Central Connecticut State University	6.25%
University of Connecticut	5.00%

Show more common career agent colleges

Best majors for career agents

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	30.9%
2	Psychology	10.3%
3	Marketing	5.8%
4	Accounting	5.8%
5	Communication	5.3%

Show more common career agent majors

Best colleges for career agents

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

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

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Butler University

Indianapolis, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$41,120

Enrollment

4,553

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

20 best online courses for career agents

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Top 10 most affordable universities for career agents

The most affordable schools for career agents are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for career agents 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 career agents.

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

8. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for career agents

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

Some great schools for career agents 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 career agents 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for career agents

The easiest schools for career agents to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and bluefield college.

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

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. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

4. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

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. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average career agent salary by education level

Career agents with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $54,981 annually. With a Master's degree, career agents earn a median annual income of $54,873 compared to $51,681 for career agents with an Doctorate degree.

Career agent education level	Career agent salary
Master's Degree	$54,873
High School Diploma or Less	$45,594
Bachelor's Degree	$54,981
Doctorate Degree	$51,681
Some College/ Associate Degree	$45,446

Career agent education FAQs

What is the best college for Career Agents?

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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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