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Benefits consultant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a benefits consultant. Benefits consultants usually study business, marketing, or communication. 71% of benefits consultants hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,890 real benefits consultant resumes to see exactly what benefits consultant education sections show.
The most common colleges for benefits consultants are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online benefits consultant courses to help get the education required to be a benefits consultant.
There are certain benefits consultant certifications that you should consider. These benefits consultant certifications include Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) and Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS).
What education do you need to become a benefits consultant?
What degree do you need to be a benefits consultant?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Associate, 11%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a benefits consultant?
- Business, 32%
- Marketing, 6%
- Communication, 6%
- Psychology, 6%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for benefits consultants
| Benefits consultant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 18.93% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.94% |
| University of Connecticut | 5.68% |
| Temple University | 5.36% |
| Michigan State University | 4.73% |
Best majors for benefits consultants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 32.2% |
| 2 | Marketing | 6.2% |
| 3 | Communication | 6.1% |
| 4 | Psychology | 6.0% |
| 5 | Human Resources Management | 5.3% |
Best colleges for benefits consultants
The best colleges for benefits consultants are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
A benefits 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 benefits 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 benefits consultants.
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. SUNY College at Oswego
Oswego, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,440
Enrollment
7,039
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$45,542
Enrollment
14,159
7. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
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 consultants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for benefits consultants
The most affordable schools for benefits consultants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for benefits 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 benefits 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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for benefits consultants
The hardest universities for benefits consultants to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for benefits 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 benefits 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for benefits consultants
The easiest schools for benefits consultants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a benefits 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 benefits consultants.
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. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average benefits consultant salary by education level
| Benefits consultant education level | Benefits consultant salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $95,825 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $77,607 |
Benefits consultant education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025