Post job

Associate consultant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an associate consultant. Associate consultants usually study business, computer science, or electrical engineering. 71% of associate consultants hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 7,164 real associate consultant resumes to see exactly what associate consultant education sections show.

The most common colleges for associate consultants are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

There are also many online associate consultant courses to help get the education required to be an associate consultant.

What education do you need to become an associate consultant?

What degree do you need to be an associate consultant?

The most common degree for associate consultants is bachelor's degree, with 71% of associate consultants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 21% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 71%
  • Master's, 21%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an associate consultant?

You should major in business to become an associate consultant. 16% of associate consultants major in business. Other common majors for an associate consultant include computer science and electrical engineering.

Most common colleges for associate consultants

Associate consultants often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University. Here are the most common colleges for associate consultants in the US based on their resumes.
Associate consultant common collegePercentages
Pennsylvania State University6.68%
University of Pennsylvania6.33%
Cornell University5.98%
New York University5.80%
University of California, Berkeley5.80%

Best majors for associate consultants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business16.5%
2Computer Science13.1%
3Electrical Engineering7.7%
4Finance7.5%
5Psychology5.7%

Best colleges for associate consultants

The best colleges for associate consultants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

An associate consultant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for associate consultants. 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 associate consultants.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,909

Enrollment

6,348

20 best online courses for associate consultants

Advertising disclosure

1. Data Analysis Immersive (Full-time)

general_assembly

Learn to problem solve, and effectively communicate, like an analyst. This course teaches you to use industry-standard tools to make ethical, data-driven decisions. Experience hands-on training to master SQL, Excel, Tableau, PowerBI, and Python – tools listed in virtually every data analytics job posting across industries...

2. Data Analytics (Part Time)

general_assembly

Harness Excel, SQL, and Tableau to drive powerful analysis and insights. Build confidence and credibility to apply this versatile skill set to countless jobs. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

3. Data Analyst

udacity

Use Python, SQL and Statistics to advance your programming skills and refine your ability to work with messy, complex datasets...

4. Data Structures and Algorithms

udacity

Get hands-on practice with over 80 data structures and algorithm exercises and guidance from a dedicated mentor to help prepare you for interviews and on-the-job scenarios...

5. PL/SQL by Example - Beginner to Advanced PL/SQL

udemy
4.5
(13,982)

Using PL/SQL learn how to combine the efficiency of SQL & Procedural Language(PL) to build a powerful PL/SQL Application...

6. Retail for Business Analysts and Management Consultants

udemy
4.6
(2,563)

A practical guide with cases studies how to analyze and improve a retail business during management consulting projects...

7. Intro to Data Analytics

general_assembly

Discover if data is a career fit for you Regardless of your industry or role, fluency in the language of data analytics will allow you to contribute to data driven decision making. In this free, two-hour livestream, you’ll learn to understand, analyze, and interpret data so you too can join the data conversation. We’ll cover how to ask the right questions of your data and basic analytic functionality. Then you’ll apply your new found data analytic skills to a real-world dataset, allowing you...

8. Data Visualization

udacity

You will start by building data visualizations and dashboards, considering your audiences to be as effective as possible. Then, you’ll move into drafting presentations using storytelling techniques, visualizations, and animations to provide data-driven recommendations...

9. Intro to Data Analysis

udacity

Start your data science journey right with this hands-on introduction to the discipline of data analysis. In this course you'll learn the 5 key stages of the data analysis process and apply them to real data sets using Python libraries NumPy, pandas, and Matplotlib...

10. Consulting Business: How to Start a Consulting Business

udemy
4
(502)

Consulting Business 90-Step Startup + 5-Phase Consulting Business Proposal Plan to Start Consulting Business Fast...

11. FMCG for Management Consultants and Business Analysts

udemy
4.5
(336)

A practical guide on how to analyze in Excel and improve consumer goods business during consulting projects...

12. Data Visualization

udacity

Discover how data visualization can communicate insights far more effectively than text or tables. In this course, you’ll learn how to build data visualizations programmatically using Python, and how you can use visualization to both discover and convey trends in your data...

13. Experimental Design & Recommendations

udacity

Learn two of the most in-demand skills in the entire field of data science! By the end of this course, you’ll know how to generate personalized recommendations based on user data, as well as run statistically valid tests that produce clean, interpretable results...

14. Mastering PL/SQL

udemy
4.2
(269)

Simplified way to learn PL/SQL...

15. Practical Project Management for Management Consultants

udemy
4.5
(809)

How to manage successfully a consulting project - a practical guide for Project Managers...

16. Strategy for Management Consultants & Business Analysts

udemy
4.5
(8,372)

Top advices from consulting practice with examples and case studies...

17. The Complete PL/SQL Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced PL/SQL

udemy
4.5
(13,873)

A Comprehensive Guide to Make You a Job-Ready PL/SQL Developer.Also Covers Oracle 1Z0-144 and 1Z0-149 PL SQL Exam Topics...

18. Consulting Business Masterclass: Start A Consulting Business

udemy
4
(478)

The Complete A-Z Consulting Course for Everyone Who Wants to Become Location-Independent...

19. Performance Improvement Projects for Management Consultants

udemy
4.5
(413)

A practical guide on how to conduct consulting projects on the level of Mc Kinsey, Bain, BCG, Pw C...

20. Implementing a Data Warehouse with SQL Server 2012

udemy
4.6
(2,088)

Implementing a Data Warehouse with SQL Server 2012 (Exam 70-463)...

Top 10 most affordable universities for associate consultants

The most affordable schools for associate consultants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for associate consultants 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 associate consultants.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for associate consultants

The hardest universities for associate consultants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for associate consultants 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 associate consultants 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

8. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for associate consultants

The easiest schools for associate consultants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an associate consultant 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 associate consultants.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average associate consultant salary by education level

Associate consultants with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $79,481 annually. With a Master's degree, associate consultants earn a median annual income of $77,350 compared to $73,661 for associate consultants with an Bachelor's degree.
Associate consultant education levelAssociate consultant salary
Master's Degree$77,350
Bachelor's Degree$73,661
Doctorate Degree$79,481

Associate consultant education FAQs

Search for associate consultant jobs

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.

Browse business and financial jobs