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Merchandise shopper education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a merchandise shopper. Merchandise shoppers usually study business, criminal justice, or specialized sales and merchandising. 40% of merchandise shoppers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 16 real merchandise shopper resumes to see exactly what merchandise shopper education sections show.
The most common colleges for merchandise shoppers are the Bowie State University and the Bowie State University.
There are also many online merchandise shopper courses to help get the education required to be a merchandise shopper.
What education do you need to become a merchandise shopper?
What degree do you need to be a merchandise shopper?
- Bachelor's, 40%
- High School Diploma, 20%
- Associate, 20%
- Other Degrees, 20%
What should I major in to become a merchandise shopper?
- Business, 27%
- Criminal Justice, 18%
- Public Relations, 9%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for merchandise shoppers
| Merchandise shopper common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bowie State University | 33.33% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 33.33% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 33.33% |
Best majors for merchandise shoppers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 27.3% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 18.2% |
| 3 | Specialized Sales And Merchandising | 9.1% |
| 4 | Public Relations | 9.1% |
| 5 | Computer Information Systems | 9.1% |
Best colleges for merchandise shoppers
The best colleges for merchandise shoppers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.
A merchandise shopper 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 shoppers. 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 shoppers.
1. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for merchandise shoppers
Advertising disclosure
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7. Visual Merchandising Course For Retailers and Students
Learn the key principles of great Visual Merchandising & Window Dressing...
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Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...
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13. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First
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14. Fast Track Retail Buying and Merchandising
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Top 10 most affordable universities for merchandise shoppers
The most affordable schools for merchandise shoppers are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and university of florida.
If the best universities for merchandise shoppers 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 shoppers.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for merchandise shoppers
The hardest universities for merchandise shoppers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.
Some great schools for merchandise shoppers 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 shoppers 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
6. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
8. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
9. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for merchandise shoppers
The easiest schools for merchandise shoppers to get into are Ottawa University, notre dame college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a merchandise shopper 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 shoppers.
1. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
2. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton
Dunmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,056
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average merchandise shopper salary by education level
| Merchandise shopper education level | Merchandise shopper salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $42,775 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,659 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,420 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $33,337 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025