Executive sales representative education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an executive sales representative. Executive sales representatives usually study business, marketing, or communication. 79% of executive sales representatives hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,769 real executive sales representative resumes to see exactly what executive sales representative education sections show.

The most common colleges for executive sales representatives are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online executive sales representative courses to help get the education required to be an executive sales representative.

What education do you need to become an executive sales representative?

What degree do you need to be an executive sales representative?

The most common degree for executive sales representatives is bachelor's degree, with 79% of executive sales representatives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 8% and master's degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 79%

Master's, 8%

Associate, 7%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an executive sales representative?

You should major in business to become an executive sales representative. 32% of executive sales representatives major in business. Other common majors for an executive sales representative include marketing and communication.

Business, 32%

Marketing, 13%

Communication, 9%

Biology, 6%

Other Majors, 40%

Most common colleges for executive sales representatives

Executive sales representatives often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Michigan State University, and Florida State University. Here are the most common colleges for executive sales representatives in the US based on their resumes.

Executive sales representative common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	11.72%
Michigan State University	6.28%
Florida State University	6.28%
University of Utah	5.86%
University of Louisville	5.44%

Show more common executive sales representative colleges

Best majors for executive sales representatives

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	31.9%
2	Marketing	12.5%
3	Communication	8.5%
4	Biology	6.1%
5	Management	5.0%

Show more common executive sales representative majors

Best colleges for executive sales representatives

The best colleges for executive sales representatives are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

An executive sales representative with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for executive sales representatives. 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 executive sales representatives.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

9. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

20 best online courses for executive sales representatives

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4.6

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Master Sales Skills, Marketing Strategy, B2B Sales, Business Development, Lead Generation Using Top Social Skills...

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The Complete Startup Playbook for Business Development & B2B Sales to learn Lead Generation, Pitching, & Closing Deals...

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Develop Extraordinary Sales Skills With The Ultimate Sales Training (Taught By 5 Top Sales Experts)...

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Learn Sales Strategies & Sales Techniques to Sell ANYTHING for Entrepreneurs, Startup, B2B Sales, & Business Development...

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Develop Advanced Sales Skills To Sell Anything Like A Champ (Taught By A World-class Salesman)...

14. Sales Funnels Masterclass: Increase Sales With Sales Funnels

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Learn to create highly converting sales, conduct professional email marketing & 10X your sales with sales funnel fast!...

15. LinkedIn Sales Navigator: LinkedIn's tool for B2B Sales

4.1

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Linked In Sales Navigator best remote practices for the Linked In premium service for business development and B2B sales...

16. Digital Marketing Strategy - Profitable Sales Funnel Mastery

4.7

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Learn to build a profitable sales funnel through captivating free offers, sales pages and email marketing sequences...

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High-ticket B2B sales and marketing. Generate leads, sell to big companies, and win large deals. Learn sales skills!...

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Learn how to sell with core, proven techniques that have generated millions in sales revenue...

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Practical, Hands-on Sales Techniques and Tools to Effortlessly Engage your Customers In Your Sales Presentations...

20. Sales Skills Training: Give a Winning Sales Presentation

4.3

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for executive sales representatives

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

Some great schools for executive sales representatives 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 executive sales representatives 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

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

8. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average executive sales representative salary by education level

According to our data, executive sales representatives with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $103,293 annually. Executive sales representatives with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $98,288.

Executive sales representative education level	Executive sales representative salary
Master's Degree	$103,293
High School Diploma or Less	$64,393
Bachelor's Degree	$90,377
Doctorate Degree	$98,288
Some College/ Associate Degree	$67,448

Executive sales representative education FAQs

What is the best college for Executive Sales Representatives?

Have more questions? See all answers to common sales questions.

Search for executive sales representative 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.

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Executive Sales Representative Education

Updated January 8, 2025

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