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Inside sales executive education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an inside sales executive. Inside sales executives usually study business, marketing, or communication. 76% of inside sales executives hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,574 real inside sales executive resumes to see exactly what inside sales executive education sections show.

The most common colleges for inside sales executives are the Brigham Young University and the Brigham Young University.

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

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

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

The most common degree for inside sales executives is bachelor's degree, with 76% of inside sales executives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 76%
  • Associate, 15%
  • Master's, 4%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

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

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

Most common colleges for inside sales executives

Inside sales executives often get their degrees at Brigham Young University, University of Phoenix, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for inside sales executives in the US based on their resumes.
Inside sales executive common collegePercentages
Brigham Young University7.09%
University of Phoenix7.09%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.30%
Arizona State University5.51%
Pennsylvania State University5.51%

Best majors for inside sales executives

RankMajorPercentages
1Business34.0%
2Marketing12.0%
3Communication9.1%
4Psychology5.8%
5Management4.2%

Best colleges for inside sales executives

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

An inside sales 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 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 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. 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 executives

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Top 10 most affordable universities for inside sales executives

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

If the best universities for inside sales 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 executives.

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 executives

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

Some great schools for inside sales 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 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. 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 executives

The easiest schools for inside sales executives 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 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 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. 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 executive salary by education level

According to our data, inside sales executives with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $97,516 annually. Inside sales executives with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $93,499.
Inside sales executive education levelInside sales executive salary
Master's Degree$97,516
High School Diploma or Less$65,356
Bachelor's Degree$87,086
Doctorate Degree$93,499
Some College/ Associate Degree$67,972

Inside sales 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.