Outside account executive education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an outside account executive. Outside account executives usually study business, marketing, or communication. 76% of outside account executives hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 389 real outside account executive resumes to see exactly what outside account executive education sections show.

The most common colleges for outside account executives are the Arizona State University and the Arizona State University.

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

What education do you need to become an outside account executive?

What degree do you need to be an outside account executive?

The most common degree for outside account executives is bachelor's degree, with 76% of outside account executives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 76%

Associate, 16%

Master's, 4%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an outside account executive?

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

Business, 34%

Marketing, 16%

Communication, 10%

Finance, 5%

Other Majors, 35%

Most common colleges for outside account executives

Outside account executives often get their degrees at Arizona State University, Texas State University, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for outside account executives in the US based on their resumes.

Outside account executive common college	Percentages
Arizona State University	13.56%
Texas State University	6.78%
University of Phoenix	6.78%
University of Oklahoma	6.78%
West Chester University of Pennsylvania	6.78%

Show more common outside account executive colleges

Best majors for outside account executives

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	33.6%
2	Marketing	15.9%
3	Communication	9.7%
4	Finance	5.3%
5	Management	4.4%

Show more common outside account executive majors

Best colleges for outside account executives

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

An outside 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 outside 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 outside 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. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

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. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for outside account executives

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Top 10 most affordable universities for outside account executives

The most affordable schools for outside account executives are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for outside 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 outside account 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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for outside account executives

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

Some great schools for outside 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 outside 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

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

The easiest schools for outside account executives to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average outside account executive salary by education level

Outside account executives with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $103,095 annually. With a Doctorate degree, outside account executives earn a median annual income of $96,143 compared to $92,468 for outside account executives with an Bachelor's degree.

Outside account executive education level	Outside account executive salary
Master's Degree	$103,095
High School Diploma or Less	$68,983
Bachelor's Degree	$92,468
Doctorate Degree	$96,143
Some College/ Associate Degree	$70,854

Outside account executive education FAQs

What is the best college for Outside 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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