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Distributor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a distributor. Distributors usually study business, criminal justice, or marketing. 45% of distributors hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 5,914 real distributor resumes to see exactly what distributor education sections show.
The most common colleges for distributors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online distributor courses to help get the education required to be a distributor.
There are certain distributor certifications that you should consider. These distributor certifications include Automotive Sales Professional and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).
What education do you need to become a distributor?
What degree do you need to be a distributor?
- Bachelor's, 45%
- High School Diploma, 22%
- Associate, 19%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a distributor?
- Business, 28%
- Criminal Justice, 7%
- Marketing, 6%
- General Studies, 6%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for distributors
| Distributor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.35% |
| Arizona State University | 5.83% |
| Liberty University | 5.83% |
| Mississippi State University | 5.83% |
| University of North Texas | 4.93% |
Best majors for distributors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 28.0% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 6.8% |
| 3 | Marketing | 6.4% |
| 4 | General Studies | 6.3% |
| 5 | Communication | 5.8% |
Best colleges for distributors
The best colleges for distributors are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A distributor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for distributors. 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 distributors.
1. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,570
Enrollment
3,721
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
6. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$45,542
Enrollment
14,159
7. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
8. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
9. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,360
Enrollment
3,142
10. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
20 best online courses for distributors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for distributors
The most affordable schools for distributors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for distributors 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 distributors.
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for distributors
The hardest universities for distributors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for distributors 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 distributors 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
10. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,337
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for distributors
The easiest schools for distributors to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and lim college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a distributor 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 distributors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. Ursuline College
Pepper Pike, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,102
9. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
10. Cleary University
Howell, MI • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,039
Average distributor salary by education level
| Distributor education level | Distributor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $46,624 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $36,604 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $43,542 |
| Doctorate Degree | $45,453 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $37,483 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025