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Specialist-small business education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a specialist-small business. Specialist-small businesses usually study business, finance, or marketing. 63% of specialist-small businesses hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,121 real specialist-small business resumes to see exactly what specialist-small business education sections show.
The most common colleges for specialist-small businesses are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online specialist-small business courses to help get the education required to be a specialist-small business.
What education do you need to become a specialist-small business?
What degree do you need to be a specialist-small business?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Associate, 14%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a specialist-small business?
Most common colleges for specialist-small businesses
| Specialist-small business common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 24.86% |
| University of Houston | 5.41% |
| University of South Florida | 4.86% |
| Arizona State University | 4.86% |
| Liberty University | 4.86% |
Best majors for specialist-small businesses
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 36.5% |
| 2 | Finance | 10.3% |
| 3 | Marketing | 6.7% |
| 4 | Economics | 5.8% |
| 5 | Accounting | 5.8% |
Best colleges for specialist-small businesses
The best colleges for specialist-small businesses are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
A specialist-small business with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for specialist-small businesses. 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 specialist-small businesses.
1. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
6. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
20 best online courses for specialist-small businesses
Advertising disclosure
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10. U.S. Residential Real Estate, Property & Mortgage Business
Property & Mortgage Underwriting Loan Processing Financial Analysis Mortgage Operations Origination...
11. Financial Modeling for Business Analysts and Consultants
Learn Financial Modeling in Excel that will allow you to participate in due diligence, strategy or turn around projects...
12. Accounting & Financial Statement Analysis: Complete Training
Accounting & Financial Ratio Analysis made easy. Learn important accounting skills that will get your foot in the door!...
13. Principles of Financial Accounting
Learn the complete accounting cycle -recording business transactions to presenting the Balance Sheet & Income Statement...
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20. QuickBooks Pro 2016 Training: Manage Small Business Finances
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Top 10 most affordable universities for specialist-small businesses
The most affordable schools for specialist-small businesses are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for specialist-small businesses 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 specialist-small businesses.
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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
9. Dickinson State University
Dickinson, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$6,768
Cost of attendance
15,506
10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for specialist-small businesses
The hardest universities for specialist-small businesses to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
Some great schools for specialist-small businesses 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 specialist-small businesses 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
9. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
10. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for specialist-small businesses
The easiest schools for specialist-small businesses to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a specialist-small business 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 specialist-small businesses.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average specialist-small business salary by education level
| Specialist-small business education level | Specialist-small business salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $95,382 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $80,292 |
| Doctorate Degree | $98,372 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $62,487 |
Specialist-small business education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025