His instructors identified Neal Smead as a gifted kid who excelled in school from an early age. He was an honor roll member throughout high school and was consequently admitted to the institution of his choice upon graduation. He was an active member of the student government and debate team during his undergraduate years. Smead received a degree from the University of Texas in Austin. He earned a pair of degrees in marketing and management from this institution. It was founded in 1883 and had a 430-acre campus, making it one of the largest colleges in the country. Smead attended the McCombs School of Business and its Marketing Department, one of the university's thirteen distinct colleges. He has also finished the Online Sales Certification Program at Sobel University. Sobel University is a division of Sobel & Associates, an industry leader for over two decades in retail sales, marketing, and training. In addition to companies like Smead, Sobel University has taught and qualified over 60,000 salespeople and managers.