Merchant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a merchant. Merchants usually study business, specialized sales and merchandising, or marketing. 57% of merchants hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,482 real merchant resumes to see exactly what merchant education sections show.

The most common colleges for merchants are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.

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

There are certain merchant certifications that you should consider. These merchant certifications include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).

What education do you need to become a merchant?

What degree do you need to be a merchant?

The most common degree for merchants is bachelor's degree, with 57% of merchants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 16%.

Bachelor's, 57%

Associate, 17%

High School Diploma, 16%

Master's, 5%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a merchant?

You should major in business to become a merchant. 33% of merchants major in business. Other common majors for a merchant include specialized sales and merchandising and marketing.

Business, 33%

Specialized Sales And Merchandising, 7%

Marketing, 7%

Psychology, 5%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for merchants

Merchants often get their degrees at Ohio State University, University of Phoenix, and Fashion Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for merchants in the US based on their resumes.

Merchant common college	Percentages
Ohio State University	11.87%
University of Phoenix	9.79%
Fashion Institute of Technology	9.50%
California State University - San Bernardino	7.12%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point	6.53%

Show more common merchant colleges

Best majors for merchants

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	32.5%
2	Specialized Sales And Merchandising	7.4%
3	Marketing	7.3%
4	Psychology	5.1%
5	Accounting	5.1%

Show more common merchant majors

Best colleges for merchants

The best colleges for merchants are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

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

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

20 best online courses for merchants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for merchants

The most affordable schools for merchants are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for merchants 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 merchants.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for merchants

The hardest universities for merchants to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for merchants 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 merchants 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for merchants

The easiest schools for merchants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a merchant 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 merchants.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average merchant salary by education level

Merchants with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $89,217 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, merchants earn a median annual income of $88,095 compared to $76,761 for merchants with an Associate degree.

Merchant education level	Merchant salary
Master's Degree	$89,217
High School Diploma or Less	$73,874
Bachelor's Degree	$88,095
Some College/ Associate Degree	$76,761

Merchant education FAQs

What is the best college for Merchants?

Have more questions? See all answers to common sales 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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