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Proposal specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a proposal specialist. Proposal specialists usually study business, english, or marketing. 76% of proposal specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 868 real proposal specialist resumes to see exactly what proposal specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for proposal specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online proposal specialist courses to help get the education required to be a proposal specialist.
What education do you need to become a proposal specialist?
What degree do you need to be a proposal specialist?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a proposal specialist?
- Business, 23%
- English, 13%
- Marketing, 8%
- Communication, 8%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for proposal specialists
| Proposal specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 9.62% |
| University of Houston | 7.69% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.73% |
| George Washington University, The | 6.73% |
| Missouri State University | 5.77% |
Best majors for proposal specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 23.3% |
| 2 | English | 13.0% |
| 3 | Marketing | 8.4% |
| 4 | Communication | 7.9% |
| 5 | Political Science | 6.5% |
Best colleges for proposal specialists
The best colleges for proposal specialists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
A proposal specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for proposal specialists. 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 proposal specialists.
1. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
4. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for proposal specialists
Advertising disclosure
1. Capstone: Creating A Sustainability Proposal
Congratulations on reaching the Capstone Class of the Become a Sustainable Business Change Agent specialization. The class will help you apply material from the previous three classes. We have developed a case about a hypothetical ski resort that offers lots of opportunities to develop sustainability recommendations. A second option is do develop a proposal for a change in your company or organization. Or you can do both the case and your own proposal. The goal of the class is to have you...
2. Research Proposal: Initiating Research
Market Research is a growing and important field that is used in many industries around the world. Given all the data that is collected whether by organizations, industries, social media, governments, etc., it’s important that someone can review and sift through all the noise to provide valuable insights. And that’s where you come in as a market researcher. This course will only scratch the surface and provide you a foundational understanding of this field. In this course, you will be able to...
3. How To Write A Business Proposal - Upwork - Proposal Writing
Secrets to Writing Business Proposals to Get Clients, Double/Tripple Your Success Rate and 10x Your Business!...
4. Proposal Writing & Management (+APMP Foundation Exam Prep)
Everything you need to win big!...
5. Advanced Upwork Proposals: Tips to Help Get More Responses!
Secrets to Write Better Upwork Proposals and Get a Response Even When 20-30 People Already Applied!...
6. Basic Grant Proposal Writing for Nonprofits
Crafting Winning Proposals that Get Funded, with Effective Outcomes Statements and Proven Communications Methods...
7. Customer Service: 6 Keys To Exceptional Customer Service
Master Customer Satisfaction & Astonish Your Customers With A+ Customer Service...
8. Project Management Master Class: Government Projects
Learn How To Win Big By Always Successfully Completing Government Projects Using Ninja Project Management Techniques...
9. Customer Service Foundation
An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...
10. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...
11. Customer Service Training: Dealing with Difficult Customers
Learn how to deal with difficult customers Master customer relationship management Gain conflict management skills...
12. Sales Fire: B2B Sales & Business Development for Startups
The Ultimate Sales Methodology for Business Development & B2B Sales to Learn Sales Strategy, Sales Skills & Deal Closing...
13. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives
Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...
14. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience
Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...
15. Customer Service
How to Approach New Customers and Maintain Existing Ones...
16. Project Charter Specialist (Accredited) Project Management
What is Project Charter? Components? Template? Example? Document Project Charter? Project Charter Specialist Earn PDUs...
17. Grant Writing: Keys to a Successful Proposal
Build your resume or freelance, learn grant writing skills and discover creative ways to fund your project or program...
18. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First
Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...
19. Sales Analysis for Management Consultants
A practical guide on how to improve sales and marketing of your customers during consulting projects like Mc Kinsey, BCG,...
20. Start Improving Customer Service
Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...
Top 10 most affordable universities for proposal specialists
The most affordable schools for proposal specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for proposal specialists 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 proposal specialists.
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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. Dickinson State University
Dickinson, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$6,768
Cost of attendance
15,506
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. Brigham Young University - Hawaii
Laie, HI • Private
In-state tuition
$5,560
Cost of attendance
18,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for proposal specialists
The hardest universities for proposal specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
Some great schools for proposal specialists 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 proposal specialists 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
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 proposal specialists
The easiest schools for proposal specialists to get into are D'Youville College, holy names university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a proposal specialist 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 proposal specialists.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
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. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average proposal specialist salary by education level
| Proposal specialist education level | Proposal specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $81,186 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $71,677 |
| Doctorate Degree | $83,019 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $59,790 |
Proposal specialist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025