Iowa · General Sales

Best colleges for General Sales in Iowa

Ranked by graduates a year

Iowa State University, Des Moines Area Community College and Hawkeye Community College award the most General Sales degrees and certificates in Iowa: 110, 39 and 17 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 10 Iowa colleges offer General Sales and award 192 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The General Sales program, officially titled General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations, focuses on equipping students with essential skills in sales and marketing within the business sector. This program is ideal for…

Institutions
10
offering CIP 52.18
States offered
40
with a program page
Degrees / yr
192
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
—
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
0
College Scorecard
Median net price
$21,680
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
53%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Parts Salespersons
$47,200
BLS OEWS May 2025

10 institutions offering General Sales in Iowa

Graduate earnings are not yet reported for these institutions; ordered by graduates a year.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Iowa State University
Ames Public
—11075%——
2Des Moines Area Community College
Ankeny Public
—3939%——
3Hawkeye Community College
Waterloo Public
—1743%——
4University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls Public
—968%——
5Iowa Western Community College
Council Bluffs Public
—640%——
6Saint Ambrose University
Davenport Private not-for-profit
—661%$21,680—
7Northeast Iowa Community College
Calmar Public
—251%——
8Grand View University
Des Moines Private not-for-profit
—154%$20,840—
9Marshalltown Community College
Marshalltown Public
—142%——
10North Iowa Area Community College
Mason City Public
—161%——

Colleges awarding the most General Sales degrees in Iowa

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Iowa State University
Ames Public
110Not reported
2Des Moines Area Community College
Ankeny Public
39Not reported
3Hawkeye Community College
Waterloo Public
17Not reported
4University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls Public
9Not reported
5Iowa Western Community College
Council Bluffs Public
6Not reported
6Saint Ambrose University
Davenport Private not-for-profit
6Not reported
7Northeast Iowa Community College
Calmar Public
2Not reported
8Grand View University
Des Moines Private not-for-profit
1Not reported
9Marshalltown Community College
Marshalltown Public
1Not reported
10North Iowa Area Community College
Mason City Public
1Not reported

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Parts Salespersons (SOC 41-2022).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+3.1%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~30,200
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$37,440
typically No formal educational credential

Top skills

Active ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingMonitoringWriting

What Parts Salespersons earn in Iowa

Jobs in Iowa
3,810
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$47,200
median $46,670
Best-paying metro
$49,930
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

Related careers

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
$76,490 avg · 16,990 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
$50,950 avg · 9,970 jobs
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
$69,880 avg · 6,530 jobs
Parts Salespersons
$47,200 avg · 3,810 jobs
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products
$110,130 avg · 2,580 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
$99,890 avg · 2,530 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing General Sales programs in Iowa.

Which Iowa colleges award the most General Sales degrees?+

Iowa State University (110 graduates a year), Des Moines Area Community College (39 graduates a year) and Hawkeye Community College (17 graduates a year) award the most General Sales degrees and certificates in Iowa, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 10 Iowa colleges offer General Sales.

How much do Parts Salespersons earn in Iowa?+

The average annual wage for Parts Salespersons in Iowa is $47,200 (median $46,670), across about 3,810 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the General Sales program?+

The General Sales program, officially titled General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations, focuses on equipping students with essential skills in sales and marketing within the business sector. This program is ideal for…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, critical thinking, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Parts Salespersons?+

The national job outlook is about +3.1% growth with around 30,200 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A No formal educational credential is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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