E-commerce merchant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an e-commerce merchant. E-commerce merchants usually study business, marketing, or specialized sales and merchandising. 66% of e-commerce merchants hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 590 real e-commerce merchant resumes to see exactly what e-commerce merchant education sections show.

The most common colleges for e-commerce merchants are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

There are also many online e-commerce merchant courses to help get the education required to be an e-commerce merchant.

What education do you need to become an e-commerce merchant?

What degree do you need to be an e-commerce merchant?

The most common degree for e-commerce merchants is bachelor's degree, with 66% of e-commerce merchants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 66%

Associate, 17%

High School Diploma, 6%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an e-commerce merchant?

You should major in business to become an e-commerce merchant. 25% of e-commerce merchants major in business. Other common majors for an e-commerce merchant include marketing and specialized sales and merchandising.

Business, 25%

Marketing, 15%

Specialized Sales And Merchandising, 9%

Communication, 7%

Other Majors, 44%

Most common colleges for e-commerce merchants

E-commerce merchants often get their degrees at Fashion Institute of Technology, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for e-commerce merchants in the US based on their resumes.

E-commerce merchant common college	Percentages
Fashion Institute of Technology	8.64%
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco	7.41%
University of California - Davis	7.41%
University of Wisconsin Colleges	6.17%
Missouri State University	6.17%

Show more common e-commerce merchant colleges

Best majors for e-commerce merchants

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	25.5%
2	Marketing	14.6%
3	Specialized Sales And Merchandising	9.0%
4	Communication	7.1%
5	Graphic Design	5.6%

Show more common e-commerce merchant majors

Best colleges for e-commerce merchants

The best colleges for e-commerce merchants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

An e-commerce merchant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for e-commerce merchants. 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 e-commerce merchants.

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. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

20 best online courses for e-commerce merchants

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20. MailChimp for Ecommerce Email Marketing Master Class

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Top 10 most affordable universities for e-commerce merchants

The most affordable schools for e-commerce merchants are SUNY Farmingdale, usf sarasota-manatee, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for e-commerce merchants 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 e-commerce merchants.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for e-commerce merchants

The hardest universities for e-commerce merchants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for e-commerce merchants 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 e-commerce merchants 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for e-commerce merchants

The easiest schools for e-commerce merchants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an e-commerce merchant 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 e-commerce merchants.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

9. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average e-commerce merchant salary by education level

E-commerce merchants with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $55,406 annually. With a Master's degree, e-commerce merchants earn a median annual income of $52,654 compared to $40,422 for e-commerce merchants with an Bachelor's degree.

E-commerce merchant education level	E-commerce merchant salary
Master's Degree	$52,654
Bachelor's Degree	$40,422
Doctorate Degree	$55,406
Some College/ Associate Degree	$27,492

E-commerce merchant education FAQs

What is the best college for E-Commerce Merchants?

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

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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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