Group sales manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a group sales manager. Group sales managers usually study business, hospitality management, or marketing. 76% of group sales managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,089 real group sales manager resumes to see exactly what group sales manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for group sales managers are the Johnson & Wales University and the Johnson & Wales University.

There are also many online group sales manager courses to help get the education required to be a group sales manager.

There are certain group sales manager certifications that you should consider. These group sales manager certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Professional Certified Marketer (PCM).

What education do you need to become a group sales manager?

What degree do you need to be a group sales manager?

The most common degree for group sales managers is bachelor's degree, with 76% of group sales managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 12% and associate degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 76%

Associate, 12%

Master's, 6%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a group sales manager?

You should major in business to become a group sales manager. 30% of group sales managers major in business. Other common majors for a group sales manager include hospitality management and marketing.

Business, 30%

Hospitality Management, 11%

Marketing, 10%

Communication, 8%

Other Majors, 41%

Most common colleges for group sales managers

Group sales managers often get their degrees at Johnson & Wales University, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for group sales managers in the US based on their resumes.

Group sales manager common college	Percentages
Johnson & Wales University	11.25%
Pennsylvania State University	7.93%
University of Phoenix	7.42%
Florida State University	6.65%
Arizona State University	6.14%

Show more common group sales manager colleges

Best majors for group sales managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	29.9%
2	Hospitality Management	11.1%
3	Marketing	10.1%
4	Communication	8.0%
5	Management	5.2%

Show more common group sales manager majors

Best colleges for group sales managers

The best colleges for group sales managers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

A group sales manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for group sales managers. 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 group sales managers.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

3. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

10. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

20 best online courses for group sales managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for group sales managers

The most affordable schools for group sales managers are USF Sarasota-Manatee, university of south florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for group sales managers 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 group sales managers.

1. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

2. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for group sales managers

The hardest universities for group sales managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for group sales managers 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 group sales managers 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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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 group sales managers

The easiest schools for group sales managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a group sales manager 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 group sales managers.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

9. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

10. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

Average group sales manager salary by education level

According to our data, group sales managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $68,748 annually. Group sales managers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $64,572.

Group sales manager education level	Group sales manager salary
Master's Degree	$68,748
High School Diploma or Less	$44,608
Bachelor's Degree	$60,041
Doctorate Degree	$64,572
Some College/ Associate Degree	$44,570

Group sales manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Group Sales Managers?

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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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