Outside sales representative education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an outside sales representative. Outside sales representatives usually study business, marketing, or communication. 67% of outside sales representatives hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 32,387 real outside sales representative resumes to see exactly what outside sales representative education sections show.

The most common colleges for outside sales representatives are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain outside sales representative certifications that you should consider. These outside sales representative certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Sales Management.

What education do you need to become an outside sales representative?

What degree do you need to be an outside sales representative?

The most common degree for outside sales representatives is bachelor's degree, with 67% of outside sales representatives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 67%

Associate, 16%

High School Diploma, 9%

Master's, 3%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an outside sales representative?

You should major in business to become an outside sales representative. 38% of outside sales representatives major in business. Other common majors for an outside sales representative include marketing and communication.

Business, 38%

Marketing, 11%

Communication, 8%

Management, 5%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for outside sales representatives

Outside sales representatives often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Texas State University, and Texas A&M; University. Here are the most common colleges for outside sales representatives in the US based on their resumes.

Outside sales representative common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	13.15%
Texas State University	6.19%
Texas A&M University	5.47%
Arizona State University	5.18%
Pennsylvania State University	4.94%

Show more common outside sales representative colleges

Best majors for outside sales representatives

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	37.6%
2	Marketing	11.1%
3	Communication	7.6%
4	Management	5.1%
5	Psychology	4.2%

Show more common outside sales representative majors

Best colleges for outside sales representatives

The best colleges for outside sales representatives are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

An outside sales representative 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 representatives. 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 representatives.

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 representatives

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Top 10 most affordable universities for outside sales representatives

The most affordable schools for outside sales representatives are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for outside sales representatives 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 representatives.

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 representatives

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

Some great schools for outside sales representatives 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 representatives 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

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

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 representatives

The easiest schools for outside sales representatives 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 representative 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 representatives.

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 representative salary by education level

Outside sales representatives with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $74,239 annually. With a Doctorate degree, outside sales representatives earn a median annual income of $71,483 compared to $67,057 for outside sales representatives with an Bachelor's degree.

Outside sales representative education level	Outside sales representative salary
Master's Degree	$74,239
High School Diploma or Less	$51,798
Bachelor's Degree	$67,057
Doctorate Degree	$71,483
Some College/ Associate Degree	$53,659

Outside sales representative education FAQs

What is the best college for Outside Sales Representatives?

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.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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