School Overviews
Aspiring sales professionals can find bachelor's degrees in business administration at some of the best schools in the country. Other degree options may also be available at the undergraduate degree level or as professional certificates. Baylor University, Ball State University, and Western Michigan University are three U.S. schools that offer a bachelor's degree in sales. U.S. News & World Report has ranked these institutions among the best in the nation. Students can earn a Bachelor of Business Administration, which provides a firm background in all aspects of business, in addition to the concentration in sales.
Baylor University in Waco, TX
| School Highlight: Baylor University's marketing department offers a program leading to a BBA in professional selling. |
U.S. News & World Report placed Baylor University 79th in its 2020 ranking of top national universities. In 2016, the publication also ranked Baylor's Hankamer School of Business 57th for its graduate business school. The Professional Selling program has courses in selling and communications, marketing channels, and negotiation. Students may also be interested in the BBA in sports sponsorship and sales program, which is one of a handful of its kind in the nation. The program offers specialized tracks in brand activation and service, customer relationship management and analytics, and ticket sales and corporate sponsorships.
Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI
| School Highlight: Students at WMU have a 96% job placement rate within three months of graduation. |
WMU was among the top 300 national schools on U.S. News & World Report's 2020 ranking. The Harold Zeigler Interactive Sales Lab is where much of the students' time will be spent. The lab is a sales role-playing environment and a mock-up of a real sales environment. At the National Collegiate Sales Competition, students from WMU have finished in the top-five several times. Graduates will receive a BBA in sales and business marketing.
Ball State University in Muncie, IN
| School Highlight: More than 60 companies are commonly in attendance at the school's annual Sales Career Fair. |
BSU was listed among the top 100 in U.S. News & World Report's 2020 list of the country's best public schools. The school allows students to customize their curriculum by choosing courses from the school's six business departments. The program is also available online. Students may complete an internship for experience.
Top Sales Schools
Other top sales schools include the following:
| School Name | Location | Distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant, MI | Professional sales students take classes through Carew International, a nationally-recognized sales training company; students receive a certificate from the company at the end of the training |
| Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL | Sales Institute hosts the International Collegiate Sales Competition, in addition to supporting the undergraduate and graduate degree programs in sales |
| Georgia State University | Atlanta, GA | Marketing department offers a certificate program in professional sales for undergraduates and a certificate program in strategic sales leadership at the graduate level |
| Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw, GA | Students can train on delivering an effective sales presentation at the Coles College of Business |
| Nova Southeastern University | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Students can earn a minor in sales regardless of their major by taking five sales courses |
| University of Akron | Akron, OH | Sales management students get hands-on training in sales calls and business negotiations through the Fisher Sales Laboratory, which is run by the university's Fisher Institute for Professional Selling |
| University of Toledo | Toledo, OH | Edward H. Schmidt School of Professional Sales provides B.B.A., M.B.A., and certificate programs |
| Weber State University | Ogden, UT | Students can pursue a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in professional sales that focuses on the interior design industry |
| Western Kentucky University | Bowling Green, KY | Center for Professional Selling is Kentucky's only certified sales program and one of 13 in the nation |
When choosing a sales program in one of the nation's best schools, students may consider schools that offer hands-on training opportunities, including internships. Other options may include specialized tracks and online availability.
