Retail account executive education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a retail account executive. Retail account executives usually study business, accounting, or marketing. 73% of retail account executives hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,112 real retail account executive resumes to see exactly what retail account executive education sections show.

The most common colleges for retail account executives are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain retail account executive certifications that you should consider. These retail account executive certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Certified Customer Service Representative (CCSR).

What education do you need to become a retail account executive?

What degree do you need to be a retail account executive?

The most common degree for retail account executives is bachelor's degree, with 73% of retail account executives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 73%

Associate, 15%

Master's, 7%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a retail account executive?

You should major in business to become a retail account executive. 30% of retail account executives major in business. Other common majors for a retail account executive include accounting and marketing.

Business, 30%

Accounting, 12%

Marketing, 11%

Communication, 8%

Other Majors, 39%

Most common colleges for retail account executives

Retail account executives often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Washington, and Ohio State University. Here are the most common colleges for retail account executives in the US based on their resumes.

Retail account executive common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	12.73%
University of Washington	8.18%
Ohio State University	8.18%
Florida State University	6.36%
Michigan State University	5.45%

Show more common retail account executive colleges

Best majors for retail account executives

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	30.2%
2	Accounting	11.6%
3	Marketing	11.5%
4	Communication	8.0%
5	Finance	4.0%

Show more common retail account executive majors

Best colleges for retail account executives

The best colleges for retail account executives are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A retail 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 retail 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 retail account executives.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

6. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

7. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

20 best online courses for retail account executives

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5. Professional Diploma in Digitalization of Retail Banking

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Digital at sales, cross-sale, loyalty increase and costs, risks decrease. Practical cases and profitability assessment...

6. MBA: Retail business, Merchandising, and E-commerce

4.5

(307)

Build and grow your own retail business and e-commerce...

7. Marketing Analytics & Retail Business Management using Excel

4.4

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Retail analytics using MS Excel - Covering Forecasting, Market Basket, RFM, Customer Valuation & Price Bundling...

8. Financial Accounting & Excel-Comprehensive Accounting Course

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Comprehensive accounting course to learn the accounting cycle in a practical way and pick up critical Excel fundamentals...

9. Financial Accounting-Adjusting Entries & Financial Statement

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Master Adjusting Entries & Financial Statements: A Comprehensive Guide for Accurate Accounting and Reporting...

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11. Retail for Business Analysts and Management Consultants

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14. Sales Skills: 9 Sales Training Courses In 1

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15. Sales and Marketing For Online Businesses

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A Beginners Guide To Sales & Marketing For Your Online Business And Ventures...

16. Retail Management

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Retailing includes all business activities involved in selling goods and services to end consumers...

17. Accounting basics, create financial statements easily

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Discover, develop, practice your financial information and explore the world of accounting...

18. Financial Accounting - Subsidiary Ledgers & Special Journals

4.5

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Mastering Special Journals and Subsidiary Ledgers: A Comprehensive Guide to Streamlined Accounting Practices...

19. Store Design: How to Design Successful Retail Stores

4.2

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Everything you need to know to create effective brick & mortar retail stores: Image, Display, Storefront, and Lighting...

20. KAM - Key Account Management - made simple

4.4

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How to master KAM - Key Account Management process...

Top 10 most affordable universities for retail account executives

The most affordable schools for retail account executives are USF Sarasota-Manatee, university of florida, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for retail 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 retail account executives.

1. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for retail account executives

The hardest universities for retail account executives to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for retail 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 retail 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

6. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

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

The easiest schools for retail account executives to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, gwynedd mercy university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

7. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average retail account executive salary by education level

Retail account executives with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $82,523 annually. With a Doctorate degree, retail account executives earn a median annual income of $79,579 compared to $76,293 for retail account executives with an Bachelor's degree.

Retail account executive education level	Retail account executive salary
Master's Degree	$82,523
High School Diploma or Less	$64,224
Bachelor's Degree	$76,293
Doctorate Degree	$79,579
Some College/ Associate Degree	$64,192

Retail account executive education FAQs

What is the best college for Retail Account Executives?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management 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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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