Post job

Inside sales consultant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an inside sales consultant. Inside sales consultants usually study business, marketing, or communication. 71% of inside sales consultants hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,872 real inside sales consultant resumes to see exactly what inside sales consultant education sections show.

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

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

There are certain inside sales consultant certifications that you should consider. These inside sales consultant certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Sales Management.

What education do you need to become an inside sales consultant?

What degree do you need to be an inside sales consultant?

The most common degree for inside sales consultants is bachelor's degree, with 71% of inside sales consultants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 71%
  • Associate, 17%
  • Master's, 5%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an inside sales consultant?

You should major in business to become an inside sales consultant. 33% of inside sales consultants major in business. Other common majors for an inside sales consultant include marketing and communication.

Most common colleges for inside sales consultants

Inside sales consultants often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Western Washington University, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for inside sales consultants in the US based on their resumes.
Inside sales consultant common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix12.34%
Western Washington University7.14%
Arizona State University5.84%
Indiana University Bloomington5.84%
San Jose State University5.19%

Best majors for inside sales consultants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business33.3%
2Marketing11.6%
3Communication7.9%
4Psychology5.7%
5Management5.5%

Best colleges for inside sales consultants

The best colleges for inside sales consultants are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Washington University in St Louis.

An inside sales consultant 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 consultants. 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 consultants.

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. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

5. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

6. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

9. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

In-state tuition

$15,374

Enrollment

19,564

10. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

20 best online courses for inside sales consultants

Advertising disclosure

1. Salesforce Sales Development Representative

coursera

If you’ve always wanted a rewarding career, the tech sales industry may be the path for you. If you’re an ambitious problem-solver who likes to win, you’ll find tech sales not only fulfilling, but lucrative as well. As the tech industry continuously introduces innovative services and products, tech sales roles have become more crucial than ever. SDRs are in the front lines of the tech biz, connecting with customers and clients, and coming up with the smartest solutions for their problems. Sales...

2. Salesforce Certification - Sales Cloud Consultant

udemy
4.2
(269)

Learn and get Salesforce sales cloud certified. Covers entire exam guide for Salesforce Sales cloud certification exam...

3. Salesforce Sales Cloud Consultant Certification Course

udemy
4.1
(3,048)

Salesforce Sales Cloud Consultants are in demand. Take your Salesforce Career to the Next Level and Become a Consultant...

4. Sales Analysis for Management Consultants

udemy
4.6
(251)

A practical guide on how to improve sales and marketing of your customers during consulting projects like Mc Kinsey, BCG,...

5. The Complete B2B Sales Masterclass: 6 Courses in 1

udemy
4
(413)

1. Generate Leads, 2. Pitch, 3. Close & Handle Any Objection: Get Certified in Cutting Edge, Non-Pushy B2B Sales System...

6. Sales Fire: B2B Sales & Business Development for Startups

udemy
4.6
(584)

The Ultimate Sales Methodology for Business Development & B2B Sales to Learn Sales Strategy, Sales Skills & Deal Closing...

7. Sales Skills Training: Consultative Selling Master Class

udemy
4.7
(3,017)

Sales Training - Professional B2B Selling Skills for Consultants, Entrepreneurs and all Who Bring in the Business!...

8. Business Development & B2B Sales for Startups- Sales Valley

udemy
4.5
(6,788)

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

9. Sales Machine: The Sales Training B2B Master Course

udemy
4.6
(4,040)

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

10. Cold Calling for B2B Sales: How to Prospect over the Phone

udemy
4.5
(2,576)

B2B Sales Skill: How to Cold Call over the Phone with Purpose, Navigate through Gatekeepers and Set Client Meetings...

11. Sales Skills: 9 Sales Training Courses In 1

udemy
4.4
(994)

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

12. Sales Forecasting in Excel for Management Consultants

udemy
4.6
(267)

A practical guide on how to do basic sales forecasting models in Excel with case studies & real-life examples...

13. B2B Sales Skills: LinkedIn Lead Generation, Cold Email Sales

udemy
4.5
(327)

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

14. Create B2B Sales Cold Calling Scripts & Value Propositions

udemy
4.6
(1,592)

B2B Sales Skill: Create Personalized Talk Tracks for Sales Reps that Win more Prospects and Close more Deals...

15. Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques

udemy
4.6
(23,968)

Sales Hacking: Essential sales skills, sales strategies and sales techniques to sell just about anything!...

16. B2B Sales Objections Simplified

udemy
4.6
(1,641)

B2B Sales Skill: Learn How to Handle the Most Common Sales Objections, Over the Phone and in Person!...

17. Cold Calling Mastery

udemy
4.8
(350)

Become fantastic at Cold Calling - making cold calls for lead generation, sales, & business development...

18. Sales Training: Become A Sales Superstar

udemy
4.7
(262)

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

19. Sales Training: How To Close More Sales

udemy
4.5
(1,734)

Closing Sales: Sales Training Course: Sales Skills; Selling Techniques; Sales Strategies for B2B, B2C Direct Sales...

20. Sales Skills Mastery 1: Sales Training For Beginners

udemy
4.4
(817)

Selling Techniques and Sales Strategy that Every Salesperson Ought to Know - Sales Training For the Modern World...

Top 10 most affordable universities for inside sales consultants

The most affordable schools for inside sales consultants are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.

If the best universities for inside sales consultants 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 consultants.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for inside sales consultants

The hardest universities for inside sales consultants to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Washington University in St Louis.

Some great schools for inside sales consultants 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 consultants 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. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

4. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for inside sales consultants

The easiest schools for inside sales consultants to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and lim college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an inside sales consultant 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 consultants.

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. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

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. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

Average inside sales consultant salary by education level

According to our data, inside sales consultants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $71,776 annually. Inside sales consultants with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $68,463.
Inside sales consultant education levelInside sales consultant salary
Master's Degree$71,776
High School Diploma or Less$45,780
Bachelor's Degree$63,208
Doctorate Degree$68,463
Some College/ Associate Degree$47,845

Inside sales consultant education FAQs

Search for inside sales consultant jobs

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.