National account executive education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a national account executive. National account executives usually study business, marketing, or communication. 82% of national account executives hold a bachelor's degree, and 7% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,864 real national account executive resumes to see exactly what national account executive education sections show.

The most common colleges for national account executives are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online national account executive courses to help get the education required to be a national account executive.

There are certain national account executive certifications that you should consider. These national account executive certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Professional Certified Marketer (PCM).

What education do you need to become a national account executive?

What degree do you need to be a national account executive?

The most common degree for national account executives is bachelor's degree, with 82% of national account executives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 7% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 82%

Associate, 7%

Master's, 7%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a national account executive?

You should major in business to become a national account executive. 33% of national account executives major in business. Other common majors for a national account executive include marketing and communication.

Business, 33%

Marketing, 13%

Communication, 9%

Management, 5%

Other Majors, 40%

Most common colleges for national account executives

National account executives often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Michigan State University, and Ohio State University. Here are the most common colleges for national account executives in the US based on their resumes.

National account executive common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	9.89%
Michigan State University	8.00%
Ohio State University	6.32%
Florida State University	5.68%
California State University - San Bernardino	5.47%

Show more common national account executive colleges

Best majors for national account executives

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	33.3%
2	Marketing	13.0%
3	Communication	9.4%
4	Management	5.3%
5	Political Science	5.1%

Show more common national account executive majors

Best colleges for national account executives

The best colleges for national account executives are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A national account 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 national account 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 national account executives.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

20 best online courses for national account executives

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Top 10 most affordable universities for national account executives

The most affordable schools for national account executives are SUNY Farmingdale, usf sarasota-manatee, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for national account 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 national account executives.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for national account executives

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

Some great schools for national account 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 national account 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for national account executives

The easiest schools for national account executives to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a national account 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 national account executives.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

9. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average national account executive salary by education level

National account executives with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $97,625 annually. With a Doctorate degree, national account executives earn a median annual income of $90,645 compared to $86,968 for national account executives with an Bachelor's degree.

National account executive education level	National account executive salary
Master's Degree	$97,625
High School Diploma or Less	$63,703
Bachelor's Degree	$86,968
Doctorate Degree	$90,645
Some College/ Associate Degree	$65,541

National account executive education FAQs

What is the best college for National Account Executives?

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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.

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National Account Executive Education

Updated January 8, 2025

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