Bank advisor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a bank advisor. Bank advisors usually study business, finance, or accounting. 64% of bank advisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 339 real bank advisor resumes to see exactly what bank advisor education sections show.

The most common colleges for bank advisors are the University of Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati.

There are also many online bank advisor courses to help get the education required to be a bank advisor.

What education do you need to become a bank advisor?

What degree do you need to be a bank advisor?

The most common degree for bank advisors is bachelor's degree, with 64% of bank advisors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 64%

Master's, 15%

Associate, 14%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a bank advisor?

You should major in business to become a bank advisor. 30% of bank advisors major in business. Other common majors for a bank advisor include finance and accounting.

Business, 30%

Finance, 13%

Accounting, 9%

Economics, 8%

Other Majors, 40%

Most common colleges for bank advisors

Bank advisors often get their degrees at University of Cincinnati, University of Phoenix, and Johnson & Wales University. Here are the most common colleges for bank advisors in the US based on their resumes.

Bank advisor common college	Percentages
University of Cincinnati	15.79%
University of Phoenix	10.53%
Johnson & Wales University	8.77%
Northern Kentucky University	7.02%
Florida Atlantic University	5.26%

Show more common bank advisor colleges

Best majors for bank advisors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	29.7%
2	Finance	13.0%
3	Accounting	9.2%
4	Economics	8.1%
5	Marketing	6.5%

Show more common bank advisor majors

Best colleges for bank advisors

The best colleges for bank advisors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

A bank advisor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for bank advisors. 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 bank advisors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

3. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

20 best online courses for bank advisors

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4. Financial Accounting & Excel-Comprehensive Accounting Course

4.3

(736)

Comprehensive accounting course to learn the accounting cycle in a practical way and pick up critical Excel fundamentals...

5. 3-in-1 Banking, Banking Risk and Compliance Masterclass

4.6

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The essentials of the banking business (business model, compliance, others), financial risk management and compliance...

6. Accounting & Financial Statement Analysis: Complete Training

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16. Accounting, Finance and Banking - A Comprehensive Study

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18. Advanced Financial Accounting: Acquisitions & Consolidations

4.1

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Acquisitions, Consolidations, and Reporting. Master complex concepts and applications...

19. Financial Statement Analysis

4.7

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Learn how to make understanding financial statements your superpower!...

20. Value Investing: The Complete Financial Statement Analysis

4.3

(988)

Value Investing Mastery - How to Perform Financial Statement Analysis & Financial Ratio Analysis to Find Great Stocks...

Top 10 most affordable universities for bank advisors

The most affordable schools for bank advisors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for bank advisors 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 bank advisors.

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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for bank advisors

The hardest universities for bank advisors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

Some great schools for bank advisors 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 bank advisors 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for bank advisors

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

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a bank advisor 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 bank advisors.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average bank advisor salary by education level

Bank advisors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $107,043 annually. With a Master's degree, bank advisors earn a median annual income of $100,195 compared to $93,278 for bank advisors with an Bachelor's degree.

Bank advisor education level	Bank advisor salary
Master's Degree	$100,195
Bachelor's Degree	$93,278
Doctorate Degree	$107,043

Bank advisor education FAQs

What is the best college for Bank Advisors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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