General agent education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a general agent. General agents usually study business, marketing, or accounting. 65% of general agents hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,403 real general agent resumes to see exactly what general agent education sections show.

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

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

There are certain general agent certifications that you should consider. These general agent certifications include Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC).

What education do you need to become a general agent?

What degree do you need to be a general agent?

The most common degree for general agents is bachelor's degree, with 65% of general agents earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 65%

Associate, 14%

Master's, 9%

High School Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a general agent?

You should major in business to become a general agent. 34% of general agents major in business. Other common majors for a general agent include marketing and accounting.

Business, 34%

Marketing, 6%

Accounting, 6%

Management, 6%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for general agents

General agents often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Ohio State University, and University of Utah. Here are the most common colleges for general agents in the US based on their resumes.

General agent common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	9.57%
Ohio State University	8.51%
University of Utah	7.45%
Appalachian State University	5.32%
Northern Illinois University	5.32%

Show more common general agent colleges

Best majors for general agents

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	34.1%
2	Marketing	5.9%
3	Accounting	5.9%
4	Management	5.7%
5	Psychology	5.4%

Show more common general agent majors

Best colleges for general agents

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

A general 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 general 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 general agents.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

5. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

8. University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Lafayette, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,912

Enrollment

14,245

9. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

10. Butler University

Indianapolis, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$41,120

Enrollment

4,553

20 best online courses for general agents

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Top 10 most affordable universities for general agents

The most affordable schools for general agents are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for general 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 general agents.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for general agents

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

Some great schools for general 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 general 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. 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. 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

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

The easiest schools for general agents 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 general 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 general 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. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average general agent salary by education level

General agents with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $43,418 annually. With a Master's degree, general agents earn a median annual income of $43,345 compared to $41,188 for general agents with an Doctorate degree.

General agent education level	General agent salary
Master's Degree	$43,345
High School Diploma or Less	$37,018
Bachelor's Degree	$43,418
Doctorate Degree	$41,188
Some College/ Associate Degree	$36,916

General agent education FAQs

What is the best college for General Agents?

Have more questions? See all answers to common sales 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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