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Software sales representative education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a software sales representative. Software sales representatives usually study business, marketing, or communication. 72% of software sales representatives hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,118 real software sales representative resumes to see exactly what software sales representative education sections show.

The most common colleges for software sales representatives are the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas.

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

What education do you need to become a software sales representative?

What degree do you need to be a software sales representative?

The most common degree for software sales representatives is bachelor's degree, with 72% of software sales representatives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 11% and associate degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Associate, 11%
  • Master's, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a software sales representative?

You should major in business to become a software sales representative. 34% of software sales representatives major in business. Other common majors for a software sales representative include marketing and communication.

Most common colleges for software sales representatives

Software sales representatives often get their degrees at University of North Texas, Arizona State University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for software sales representatives in the US based on their resumes.
Software sales representative common collegePercentages
University of North Texas8.16%
Arizona State University8.16%
Pennsylvania State University8.16%
University of Toledo6.12%
San Jose State University6.12%

Best majors for software sales representatives

RankMajorPercentages
1Business33.7%
2Marketing9.6%
3Communication7.1%
4Finance5.8%
5Computer Science4.2%

Best colleges for software sales representatives

The best colleges for software sales representatives are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A software sales representative with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for software sales representatives. 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 software sales representatives.

1. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

7. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

8. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

9. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,360

Enrollment

3,142

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

20 best online courses for software sales representatives

Advertising disclosure

1. Salesforce Sales Development Representative

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If you’ve always wanted a rewarding career, the tech sales industry may be the path for you. If you’re an ambitious problem-solver who likes to win, you’ll find tech sales not only fulfilling, but lucrative as well. As the tech industry continuously introduces innovative services and products, tech sales roles have become more crucial than ever. SDRs are in the front lines of the tech biz, connecting with customers and clients, and coming up with the smartest solutions for their problems. Sales...

2. HubSpot Sales Representative

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Whether you're completely new to sales and looking to start a new career, or you want to grow in your current sales role, this five-course career training program from the inbound sales experts at HubSpot can help you reach your career goals.\n\nYou’ll start by learning the basics of sales enablement and how sales and marketing teams can collaborate to create and keep relationships with their targeted buyers. You’ll develop data-driven sales goals and influential content to enable you to...

3. The Complete B2B Sales Masterclass: 6 Courses in 1

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4
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1. Generate Leads, 2. Pitch, 3. Close & Handle Any Objection: Get Certified in Cutting Edge, Non-Pushy B2B Sales System...

4. Sales Fire: B2B Sales & Business Development for Startups

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4.6
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The Ultimate Sales Methodology for Business Development & B2B Sales to Learn Sales Strategy, Sales Skills & Deal Closing...

5. Business Development & B2B Sales for Startups- Sales Valley

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4.5
(6,788)

The Complete Startup Playbook for Business Development & B2B Sales to learn Lead Generation, Pitching, & Closing Deals...

6. Sales Skills: 9 Sales Training Courses In 1

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4.4
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Develop Extraordinary Sales Skills With The Ultimate Sales Training (Taught By 5 Top Sales Experts)...

7. Sales Machine: The Sales Training B2B Master Course

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4.6
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Learn Sales Strategies & Sales Techniques to Sell ANYTHING for Entrepreneurs, Startup, B2B Sales, & Business Development...

8. Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques

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Sales Hacking: Essential sales skills, sales strategies and sales techniques to sell just about anything!...

9. Sales Training: Become A Sales Superstar

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Develop Advanced Sales Skills To Sell Anything Like A Champ (Taught By A World-class Salesman)...

10. Sales Funnels Masterclass: Increase Sales With Sales Funnels

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Learn to create highly converting sales, conduct professional email marketing & 10X your sales with sales funnel fast!...

11. Sales Training: How To Close More Sales

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4.5
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Closing Sales: Sales Training Course: Sales Skills; Selling Techniques; Sales Strategies for B2B, B2C Direct Sales...

12. Sales Fundamentals

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5
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Learn how to sell with core, proven techniques that have generated millions in sales revenue...

13. The Complete Sales Skills Master Class - Sales Marketing B2B

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4.5
(741)

Master Sales Skills, Marketing Strategy, B2B Sales, Business Development, Lead Generation Using Top Social Skills...

14. LinkedIn Sales Navigator: LinkedIn's tool for B2B Sales

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4.1
(393)

Linked In Sales Navigator best remote practices for the Linked In premium service for business development and B2B sales...

15. Sales Skills Mastery 1: Sales Training For Beginners

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4.4
(817)

Selling Techniques and Sales Strategy that Every Salesperson Ought to Know - Sales Training For the Modern World...

16. Sales Training Pro: The Complete Sales Presentation Course

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4.6
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Practical, Hands-on Sales Techniques and Tools to Effortlessly Engage your Customers In Your Sales Presentations...

17. Salesforce Certification - Sales Cloud Consultant

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4.2
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Learn and get Salesforce sales cloud certified. Covers entire exam guide for Salesforce Sales cloud certification exam...

18. B2B Sales Skills: LinkedIn Lead Generation, Cold Email Sales

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4.5
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High-ticket B2B sales and marketing. Generate leads, sell to big companies, and win large deals. Learn sales skills!...

19. Cloud Computing Sales

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4.5
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The Hottest Tech Market: Close more and better deals by understanding clients' business objectives + technology roadmap...

20. Sales Prospecting Fundamentals: A Complete Guide to Success

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4.3
(298)

Master effective prospecting by leveraging your sales superpower to increase your income!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for software sales representatives

The most affordable schools for software sales representatives are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for software sales representatives 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 software sales representatives.

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for software sales representatives

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

Some great schools for software sales representatives 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 software sales representatives 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

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

9. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

10. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for software sales representatives

The easiest schools for software sales representatives 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 software sales representative 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 software sales representatives.

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 College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

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. Cleary University

Howell, MI • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,039

Average software sales representative salary by education level

According to our data, software sales representatives with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $99,098 annually. Software sales representatives with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $95,745.
Software sales representative education levelSoftware sales representative salary
Master's Degree$99,098
High School Diploma or Less$71,418
Bachelor's Degree$90,334
Doctorate Degree$95,745
Some College/ Associate Degree$73,750

Software sales representative education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.