Post job

Bank analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a bank analyst. Bank analysts usually study business, finance, or accounting. 74% of bank analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,003 real bank analyst resumes to see exactly what bank analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for bank analysts are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain bank analyst certifications that you should consider. These bank analyst certifications include Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

What education do you need to become a bank analyst?

What degree do you need to be a bank analyst?

The most common degree for bank analysts is bachelor's degree, with 74% of bank analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 74%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a bank analyst?

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

Most common colleges for bank analysts

Bank analysts often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Florida State University, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for bank analysts in the US based on their resumes.
Bank analyst common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix9.70%
Florida State University9.70%
New York University8.96%
Ohio State University7.46%
University of Connecticut5.97%

Best majors for bank analysts

RankMajorPercentages
1Business30.3%
2Finance24.3%
3Accounting9.8%
4Economics9.5%
5Political Science3.0%

Best colleges for bank analysts

The best colleges for bank analysts are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

A bank analyst 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 analysts. 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 analysts.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for bank analysts

Advertising disclosure

1. Investment Banking: The Complete Financial Ratio Analysis

udemy
4.5
(396)

Investment Banking For Investors & Financial Analysts - How to Perform Financial Statement Analysis & Company Valuation...

2. Audit - Financial Statement

udemy
4.4
(2,545)

Master the Art of Auditing Financial Statements: In-Depth Analysis, Techniques, and Real-World Case Studies...

3. The Complete Financial Analyst Training & Investing Course

udemy
4.6
(30,958)

Succeed as a Financial Analyst &Investor by Award Winning MBA Prof who worked @Goldman, in Hedge Funds & Venture Capital...

4. 3-in-1 Banking, Banking Risk and Compliance Masterclass

udemy
4.6
(515)

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

5. Financial Statement Analysis

udemy
4.7
(255)

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

6. Excel Pivot in AML/CFT Customer Bank Statement Analysis

udemy
4.5
(396)

Quick start to Customer Bank Statement Analysis using Excel Pivot Tables...

7. Financial Accounting-Adjusting Entries & Financial Statement

udemy
4.6
(930)

Master Adjusting Entries & Financial Statements: A Comprehensive Guide for Accurate Accounting and Reporting...

8. Financial Statement Auditing Cycles

udemy
4.3
(251)

In this course, we learn how public accountants plan and execute an audit...

9. Financial Statements: Balance Sheet, Income Stmt, Cash Flow

udemy
4.5
(574)

How To Quickly Read & Understand The Big 3 Financial Statements: Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement...

10. Financial Analysis for Management Consultants & Analysts

udemy
4.5
(271)

A practical guide with case studies and examples of financial analyses done during consulting projects...

11. How to Read Financial Statements: Build Financial Literacy.

udemy
4.5
(811)

Read financial statements and speak the language of business without the drudgery of a traditional accounting course...

12. AML Compliance in Practice: Suspicious Activity Reports

udemy
4.6
(525)

Learn the Fundamentals of SAR Filing in Anti-Money Laundering Compliance/KYC & How to write a stellar SAR Narrative!...

13. Accounting & Financial Statement Analysis: Complete Training

udemy
4.6
(16,804)

Accounting & Financial Ratio Analysis made easy. Learn important accounting skills that will get your foot in the door!...

14. FATF Recommendations on High Risk Customers and Activities

udemy
4.5
(1,310)

Overview of FATF Recommendations on AML/ CFT for High Risk Customers and Activities PEPs and Correspondent Relationships...

15. Accounting basics, create financial statements easily

udemy
4.5
(280)

Discover, develop, practice your financial information and explore the world of accounting...

16. Understand Banks & Financial Markets

udemy
4.4
(6,205)

The world of financial markets: participants, products, trading motives, pricing and structure...

17. The Real Estate Financial Modeling Bootcamp

udemy
4.8
(8,299)

The Complete A to Z Guide to Modeling Real Estate Transactions in Microsoft Excel For Smarter Real Estate Investing...

18. Financial Analysis and Financial Modeling using MS Excel

udemy
4.3
(3,724)

Perform financial analysis & financial modeling using Microsoft excel. For people who want to become a Financial Analyst...

19. Financial Modeling for Business Analysts and Consultants

udemy
4.4
(1,523)

Learn Financial Modeling in Excel that will allow you to participate in due diligence, strategy or turn around projects...

20. The Real Estate Financial Modeling Interview Exam Guide

udemy
4.9
(873)

How To Ace Your Real Estate Financial Modeling Interview Exam For Real Estate Investing Careers...

Top 10 most affordable universities for bank analysts

The most affordable schools for bank analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for bank analysts 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 analysts.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

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 bank analysts

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

Some great schools for bank analysts 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 analysts 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

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

The easiest schools for bank analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and notre dame college.

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

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. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

8. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average bank analyst salary by education level

According to our data, bank analysts with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $103,990 annually. Bank analysts with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $93,538.
Bank analyst education levelBank analyst salary
Master's Degree$93,538
Bachelor's Degree$84,995
Doctorate Degree$103,990

Bank analyst education FAQs

Search for bank analyst 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