Merchandise planner education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a merchandise planner. Merchandise planners usually study business, marketing, or specialized sales and merchandising. 82% of merchandise planners hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,178 real merchandise planner resumes to see exactly what merchandise planner education sections show.

The most common colleges for merchandise planners are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

There are also many online merchandise planner courses to help get the education required to be a merchandise planner.

What education do you need to become a merchandise planner?

What degree do you need to be a merchandise planner?

The most common degree for merchandise planners is bachelor's degree, with 82% of merchandise planners earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 8% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 82%

Associate, 8%

Master's, 8%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a merchandise planner?

You should major in business to become a merchandise planner. 30% of merchandise planners major in business. Other common majors for a merchandise planner include marketing and specialized sales and merchandising.

Business, 30%

Marketing, 15%

Specialized Sales And Merchandising, 11%

Economics, 5%

Other Majors, 39%

Most common colleges for merchandise planners

Merchandise planners often get their degrees at Fashion Institute of Technology, Ohio State University, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for merchandise planners in the US based on their resumes.

Merchandise planner common college	Percentages
Fashion Institute of Technology	12.86%
Ohio State University	8.57%
New York University	6.43%
Michigan State University	6.43%
University of Wisconsin Colleges	6.07%

Show more common merchandise planner colleges

Best majors for merchandise planners

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	29.9%
2	Marketing	14.7%
3	Specialized Sales And Merchandising	11.1%
4	Economics	5.4%
5	Finance	4.6%

Show more common merchandise planner majors

Best colleges for merchandise planners

The best colleges for merchandise planners are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

A merchandise planner with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for merchandise planners. 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 merchandise planners.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Akron

Akron, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,463

Enrollment

13,676

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

5. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

6. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Enrollment

7,938

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

8. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

20 best online courses for merchandise planners

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Top 10 most affordable universities for merchandise planners

The most affordable schools for merchandise planners are Fashion Institute of Technology, suny farmingdale, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for merchandise planners 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 merchandise planners.

1. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for merchandise planners

The hardest universities for merchandise planners to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for merchandise planners 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 merchandise planners 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for merchandise planners

The easiest schools for merchandise planners to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a merchandise planner 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 merchandise planners.

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. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average merchandise planner salary by education level

Merchandise planners with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $78,219 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, merchandise planners earn a median annual income of $77,878 compared to $65,339 for merchandise planners with an Associate degree.

Merchandise planner education level	Merchandise planner salary
Master's Degree	$78,219
High School Diploma or Less	$65,177
Bachelor's Degree	$77,878
Some College/ Associate Degree	$65,339

Merchandise planner education FAQs

What is the best college for Merchandise Planners?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial 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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