Sales program manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a sales program manager. Sales program managers usually study business, marketing, or communication. 74% of sales program managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,540 real sales program manager resumes to see exactly what sales program manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for sales program managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online sales program manager courses to help get the education required to be a sales program manager.

There are certain sales program manager certifications that you should consider. These sales program manager certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Project Management Professional (PMP).

What education do you need to become a sales program manager?

What degree do you need to be a sales program manager?

The most common degree for sales program managers is bachelor's degree, with 74% of sales program managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 74%

Master's, 12%

Associate, 10%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a sales program manager?

You should major in business to become a sales program manager. 39% of sales program managers major in business. Other common majors for a sales program manager include marketing and communication.

Business, 39%

Marketing, 9%

Communication, 6%

Management, 5%

Other Majors, 41%

Most common colleges for sales program managers

Sales program managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Florida State University, and The University of Alabama. Here are the most common colleges for sales program managers in the US based on their resumes.

Sales program manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	17.42%
Florida State University	7.30%
The University of Alabama	6.74%
George Washington University, The	6.18%
Arizona State University	5.06%

Show more common sales program manager colleges

Best majors for sales program managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	39.0%
2	Marketing	9.1%
3	Communication	5.8%
4	Management	5.4%
5	Electrical Engineering	4.9%

Show more common sales program manager majors

Best colleges for sales program managers

The best colleges for sales program managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A sales program 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 sales program 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 sales program 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 sales program managers

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20. Sales Methodologies: Best Practices for Enterprise Selling

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Top 10 most affordable universities for sales program managers

The most affordable schools for sales program managers are USF Sarasota-Manatee, university of florida, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for sales program 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 sales program 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 sales program managers

The hardest universities for sales program managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for sales program 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 sales program 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

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. 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 sales program managers

The easiest schools for sales program 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 sales program 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 sales program 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 sales program manager salary by education level

Sales program managers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $128,846 annually. With a Doctorate degree, sales program managers earn a median annual income of $122,378 compared to $115,277 for sales program managers with an Bachelor's degree.

Sales program manager education level	Sales program manager salary
Master's Degree	$128,846
High School Diploma or Less	$90,306
Bachelor's Degree	$115,277
Doctorate Degree	$122,378
Some College/ Associate Degree	$90,243

Sales program manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Sales Program Managers?

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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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