Sales Leader Education Requirements

Updated April 5, 2024

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Margie Bernard MBA,

Daniel Miller Ph.D.

The educational requirements for a sales leader vary, with some positions requiring no formal education, while others may necessitate a high school diploma, certificate, associate degree, or even a bachelor's degree. According to Margie Bernard MBA, Faculty - Graduate Healthcare Administration at Saint Xavier University, "A certificate on how to make Lean Process Improvements, which is something we offer to our graduate management students, can be a good job out of college for sales leaders. Team projects you have helped to complete look excellent on resumes." This highlights the importance of practical experience and certifications in addition to formal education.

What education do you need to become a sales leader?

What degree do you need to be a sales leader?

The most common degree for sales leaders is bachelor's degree, with 54% of sales leaders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 18%.

Bachelor's, 54%

Associate, 19%

High School Diploma, 18%

Master's, 4%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a sales leader?

The best college majors for a sales leader often include business, marketing, and psychology. According to Dr. Daniel Miller, Associate Professor of Religion and Social Thought at Landmark College, liberal arts graduates possess the skills and capacities desired by employers, such as critical thinking, strong communication, and analytical thinking skills.

Business, 29%

Marketing, 8%

Psychology, 8%

Communication, 7%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for sales leaders

Sales leaders often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and University of North Texas. Here are the most common colleges for sales leaders in the US based on their resumes.

Sales Leader Common College	Percentages
University of Phoenix	14.71%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	6.02%
University of North Texas	5.48%
Arizona State University	5.21%
The University of Alabama	4.95%

Show more common sales leader colleges

Best majors for sales leaders

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	29.5%
2	Marketing	7.7%
3	Psychology	7.6%
4	Communication	6.7%
5	Criminal Justice	4.7%

Show more common sales leader majors

Best colleges for sales leaders

The top colleges for sales leaders, such as SUNY College of Technology at Delhi and SUNY Farmingdale, excel in metrics like admissions and retention rates. Graduates from these institutions, including University of Pennsylvania and University of Georgia, often earn higher salaries and have better job prospects. The schools on this list also have lower student debt and more graduates working after ten years.

1. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,360

Enrollment

3,142

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

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. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-State Tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

8. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

9. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

10. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

20 best online courses for sales leaders

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Top 10 most affordable universities for sales leaders

The most affordable schools for sales leaders are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and fashion institute of technology.

If the best universities for sales leaders 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 sales leaders.

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. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,740

Cost of Attendance

17,864

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,381

Cost of Attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Cost of Attendance

16,714

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,620

Cost of Attendance

18,136

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,992

Cost of Attendance

22,430

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,942

Cost of Attendance

14,469

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 sales leaders

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

Some great schools for sales leaders 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 sales leaders 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. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions Rate

42%

SAT Average

1,380

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

22%

SAT Average

1,420

9. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

46%

SAT Average

1,354

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions Rate

47%

SAT Average

1,390

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sales leaders

The easiest schools for sales leaders 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 a sales leader 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 sales leaders.

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 de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

82%

SAT Average

983

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions Rate

90%

SAT Average

994

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. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions Rate

91%

SAT Average

1,065

Average sales leader salary by education level

Sales leaders with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $107,792 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, sales leaders earn a median annual income of $90,593 compared to $70,142 for sales leaders with an Associate degree.

Sales Leader education level	Sales Leader salary
Master's Degree	$107,792
High School Diploma or Less	$65,859
Bachelor's Degree	$90,593
Some College/ Associate Degree	$70,142

Sales Leader Education FAQs

What is the best college for Sales Leaders?

Have more questions? See all answers to common sales questions.

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Updated April 5, 2024

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 April 5, 2024

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