Benefits advisor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a benefits advisor. Benefits advisors usually study business, psychology, or health care administration. 56% of benefits advisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,370 real benefits advisor resumes to see exactly what benefits advisor education sections show.

The most common colleges for benefits advisors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain benefits advisor certifications that you should consider. These benefits advisor certifications include Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) and Medical Assistant.

What education do you need to become a benefits advisor?

What degree do you need to be a benefits advisor?

The most common degree for benefits advisors is bachelor's degree, with 56% of benefits advisors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 56%

Associate, 18%

High School Diploma, 10%

Master's, 8%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a benefits advisor?

You should major in business to become a benefits advisor. 29% of benefits advisors major in business. Other common majors for a benefits advisor include psychology and health care administration.

Business, 29%

Psychology, 8%

Health Care Administration, 6%

Communication, 6%

Other Majors, 51%

Most common colleges for benefits advisors

Benefits advisors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Brigham Young University, and University of Utah. Here are the most common colleges for benefits advisors in the US based on their resumes.

Benefits advisor common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	16.67%
Brigham Young University	7.31%
University of Utah	6.73%
DeVry University	6.43%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale	6.14%

Show more common benefits advisor colleges

Best majors for benefits advisors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	28.5%
2	Psychology	7.8%
3	Health Care Administration	6.1%
4	Communication	5.6%
5	Criminal Justice	4.5%

Show more common benefits advisor majors

Best colleges for benefits advisors

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

A benefits 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 benefits 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 benefits advisors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for benefits advisors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for benefits advisors

The most affordable schools for benefits advisors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - dominguez hills, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for benefits 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 benefits 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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

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. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

10. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for benefits advisors

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

Some great schools for benefits 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 benefits 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

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

The easiest schools for benefits advisors 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 a benefits 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 benefits advisors.

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 North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average benefits advisor salary by education level

According to our data, benefits advisors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $78,810 annually. Benefits advisors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $77,898.

Benefits advisor education level	Benefits advisor salary
Master's Degree	$78,810
High School Diploma or Less	$69,111
Bachelor's Degree	$77,898
Some College/ Associate Degree	$70,702

Benefits advisor education FAQs

What is the best college for Benefits 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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