Produce buyer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a produce buyer. Produce buyers usually study business, marketing, or management. 69% of produce buyers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 500 real produce buyer resumes to see exactly what produce buyer education sections show.

The most common colleges for produce buyers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

What education do you need to become a produce buyer?

What degree do you need to be a produce buyer?

The most common degree for produce buyers is bachelor's degree, with 69% of produce buyers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 69%

Associate, 16%

Master's, 6%

High School Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a produce buyer?

You should major in business to become a produce buyer. 29% of produce buyers major in business. Other common majors for a produce buyer include marketing and management.

Business, 28%

Marketing, 8%

Management, 6%

Communication, 6%

Other Majors, 52%

Most common colleges for produce buyers

Produce buyers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Cornell University, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for produce buyers in the US based on their resumes.

Produce buyer common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	8.20%
Cornell University	8.20%
Arizona State University	6.56%
University of Wisconsin Colleges	6.56%
Pennsylvania State University	6.56%

Show more common produce buyer colleges

Best majors for produce buyers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	28.5%
2	Marketing	7.5%
3	Management	5.5%
4	Communication	5.5%
5	Political Science	5.0%

Show more common produce buyer majors

Best colleges for produce buyers

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

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

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

3. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

7. University of Minnesota - Crookston

Crookston, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$11,822

Enrollment

1,834

8. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

20 best online courses for produce buyers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for produce buyers

The most affordable schools for produce buyers are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.

If the best universities for produce buyers 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 produce buyers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for produce buyers

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

Some great schools for produce buyers 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 produce buyers 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. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for produce buyers

The easiest schools for produce buyers 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 produce buyer 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 produce buyers.

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. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

7. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

Average produce buyer salary by education level

Produce buyers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $67,007 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, produce buyers earn a median annual income of $62,037 compared to $51,848 for produce buyers with an Associate degree.

Produce buyer education level	Produce buyer salary
Master's Degree	$67,007
High School Diploma or Less	$51,300
Bachelor's Degree	$62,037
Some College/ Associate Degree	$51,848

Produce buyer education FAQs

What is the best college for Produce Buyers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

Search for produce buyer jobs

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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