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Retail sales manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a retail sales manager. Retail sales managers usually study business, marketing, or management. 61% of retail sales managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 9,527 real retail sales manager resumes to see exactly what retail sales manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for retail sales managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online retail sales manager courses to help get the education required to be a retail sales manager.
There are certain retail sales manager certifications that you should consider. These retail sales manager certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Sales Management.
What education do you need to become a retail sales manager?
What degree do you need to be a retail sales manager?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Associate, 18%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a retail sales manager?
- Business, 41%
- Marketing, 9%
- Management, 5%
- Communication, 5%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for retail sales managers
| Retail sales manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 23.73% |
| University of South Florida | 5.08% |
| Arizona State University | 5.08% |
| Michigan State University | 4.90% |
| Ohio State University | 4.90% |
Best majors for retail sales managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 41.3% |
| 2 | Marketing | 9.2% |
| 3 | Management | 5.3% |
| 4 | Communication | 5.1% |
| 5 | Psychology | 5.1% |
Best colleges for retail sales managers
The best colleges for retail sales managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A retail sales manager 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 sales managers. 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 sales managers.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
5. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,620
Enrollment
27,730
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
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. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
20 best online courses for retail sales managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for retail sales managers
The most affordable schools for retail sales managers are USF Sarasota-Manatee, university of florida, and university of south florida.
If the best universities for retail sales managers 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 sales managers.
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 sales managers
The hardest universities for retail sales managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for retail sales managers 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 sales managers 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 Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for retail sales managers
The easiest schools for retail sales managers to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, mount saint mary's university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a retail sales manager 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 sales managers.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
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. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
7. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average retail sales manager salary by education level
| Retail sales manager education level | Retail sales manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,535 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $44,066 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,926 |
| Doctorate Degree | $55,354 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $44,043 |
Retail sales manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025