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Inside sales account executive education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an inside sales account executive. Inside sales account executives usually study business, marketing, or communication. 77% of inside sales account executives hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,646 real inside sales account executive resumes to see exactly what inside sales account executive education sections show.

The most common colleges for inside sales account executives are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

What education do you need to become an inside sales account executive?

What degree do you need to be an inside sales account executive?

The most common degree for inside sales account executives is bachelor's degree, with 77% of inside sales account executives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 12% and associate degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 77%
  • Associate, 12%
  • Master's, 5%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an inside sales account executive?

You should major in business to become an inside sales account executive. 34% of inside sales account executives major in business. Other common majors for an inside sales account executive include marketing and communication.

Most common colleges for inside sales account executives

Inside sales account executives often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Arizona State University, and Ohio State University. Here are the most common colleges for inside sales account executives in the US based on their resumes.
Inside sales account executive common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix8.78%
Arizona State University8.11%
Ohio State University8.11%
University of North Texas6.08%
Texas State University6.08%

Best majors for inside sales account executives

RankMajorPercentages
1Business34.2%
2Marketing11.4%
3Communication11.2%
4Psychology4.6%
5Management4.2%

Best colleges for inside sales account executives

The best colleges for inside sales account executives are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

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

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

3. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

4. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

5. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

6. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

7. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

8. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

In-state tuition

$15,374

Enrollment

19,564

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

20 best online courses for inside sales account executives

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Top 10 most affordable universities for inside sales account executives

The most affordable schools for inside sales account executives are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.

If the best universities for inside sales account executives 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 inside sales account executives.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for inside sales account executives

The hardest universities for inside sales account executives to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for inside sales account executives 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 inside sales account executives 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for inside sales account executives

The easiest schools for inside sales account executives to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an inside sales account executive 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 inside sales account executives.

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. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

9. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

10. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

Average inside sales account executive salary by education level

According to our data, inside sales account executives with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $83,590 annually. Inside sales account executives with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $79,363.
Inside sales account executive education levelInside sales account executive salary
Master's Degree$83,590
High School Diploma or Less$51,019
Bachelor's Degree$72,701
Doctorate Degree$79,363
Some College/ Associate Degree$53,551

Inside sales account executive education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.