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Outside sales person education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an outside sales person. Outside sales people usually study business, marketing, or general studies. 55% of outside sales people hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,525 real outside sales person resumes to see exactly what outside sales person education sections show.
The most common colleges for outside sales people are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.
There are also many online outside sales person courses to help get the education required to be an outside sales person.
There are certain outside sales person certifications that you should consider. These outside sales person certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Automotive Sales Professional.
What education do you need to become an outside sales person?
What degree do you need to be an outside sales person?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Associate, 19%
- High School Diploma, 16%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become an outside sales person?
- Business, 36%
- Marketing, 8%
- General Studies, 5%
- Management, 5%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for outside sales people
| Outside sales person common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Houston | 9.38% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.29% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.25% |
| Georgia Southern University | 5.21% |
| Auburn University Main Campus | 5.21% |
Best majors for outside sales people
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 35.9% |
| 2 | Marketing | 8.3% |
| 3 | General Studies | 5.4% |
| 4 | Management | 4.7% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 4.3% |
Best colleges for outside sales people
The best colleges for outside sales people are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
An outside sales person 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 sales people. 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 sales people.
1. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,570
Enrollment
3,721
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
6. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$45,542
Enrollment
14,159
7. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
8. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
9. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,360
Enrollment
3,142
10. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
20 best online courses for outside sales people
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Top 10 most affordable universities for outside sales people
The most affordable schools for outside sales people are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for outside sales people 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 sales people.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for outside sales people
The hardest universities for outside sales people to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for outside sales people 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 sales people 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
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
10. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,337
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for outside sales people
The easiest schools for outside sales people to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and lim college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an outside sales person 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 sales people.
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. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. Ursuline College
Pepper Pike, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,102
9. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
10. Cleary University
Howell, MI • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,039
Average outside sales person salary by education level
| Outside sales person education level | Outside sales person salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $91,968 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $57,919 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $80,699 |
| Doctorate Degree | $87,605 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $60,606 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025