Budget analyst education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a budget analyst?

You need a bachelor's degree in business management to be a budget analyst. Other degrees commonly held by business analysts include accounting, mathematics, finance, and psychology. The best courses to take for future business analysts are courses on business ethics, business communication, project management, and marketing. The reason for this is that as a budget analyst, you are typically having to navigate the interoffice politics of an organization, which means communicating expectations.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a budget analyst. Budget analysts usually study business, accounting, or finance. 70% of budget analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 7,852 real budget analyst resumes to see exactly what budget analyst education sections show.

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

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

There are certain budget analyst certifications that you should consider. These budget analyst certifications include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

What education do you need to become a budget analyst?

What degree do you need to be a budget analyst?

The most common degree for budget analysts is bachelor's degree, with 70% of budget analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 70%

Master's, 17%

Associate, 9%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a budget analyst?

You should major in business to become a budget analyst. 35% of budget analysts major in business. Other common majors for a budget analyst include accounting and finance.

Business, 35%

Accounting, 24%

Finance, 14%

Economics, 4%

Other Majors, 23%

Most common colleges for budget analysts

Budget analysts often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for budget analysts in the US based on their resumes.

Budget analyst common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	15.59%
Strayer University	11.91%
University of Maryland - College Park	11.03%
George Mason University	7.98%
American University	5.07%

Show more common budget analyst colleges

Best majors for budget analysts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	34.6%
2	Accounting	23.9%
3	Finance	14.0%
4	Economics	4.4%
5	Political Science	3.8%

Show more common budget analyst majors

Best colleges for budget analysts

The best colleges for budget analysts are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A budget 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 budget 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 budget 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. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for budget analysts

Advertising disclosure

1. Budgeting essentials and development

The Budgeting Essentials and Development course focus on an integrative and practical view of concepts, methods, and techniques to develop a budget. After finishing this course, learners will be able to: - Develop the budget with a broad view of the corporate functions; - Integrate the strategic guidelines into the discussions of budgeting process; - Structure the budget planning and development in a logical sequence - Coordinate the project of budget planning with the different areas of the...

2. Build a Budget and Analyze Variance using Google Sheets

By the end of this project, you will be able to build a simple budget using Google Sheets. You will be able to easily capture variances and identify trends. You will be able to format your budget, identify and communicate drivers of variances and make the budget presentable. Note: This course works best for learners who are based in the North America region. We’re currently working on providing the same experience in other regions...

3. IT Project Budget & Cost Management

4.4

(290)

Project Management tips to manage a million dollar IT Project budget from start to finish...

4. Flexible Budgets, Standard Costs, & Variance Analysis

4.4

(289)

Maximizing Financial Insight: Mastering Variance Analysis and Budgeting for Strategic Decision-Making...

5. Create a Budget with Google Sheets

By the end of this project, you will be able to build a basic budget using Google Sheets. You will use a template to add, delete, edit, and format a budget to meet the needs of your personal or professional goals. You will be able to read the summary tab, share the budget, and create permissions for others to access, format the charts, and use conditional formatting. You will also be able to take the Google Sheets Budget and put it into presentable files. Note: This course works best for...

6. Financial Planning & Analysis: Building a Company's Budget

4.6

(8,605)

Learn the Fundamentals of Financial Planning and Position Your Career for Success!...

7. Building an Organizational Budget

4.4

(440)

Design program budgets from a simplified approach along with conceptual understandings...

8. Budgeting for Business

4.5

(1,712)

Learn how to create and use budgets effectively in company large or small...

9. Time Value of Money & Capital Budgeting - Present Value

4.3

(280)

Mastering Financial Decision-Making: Time Value of Money & Capital Budgeting for Long-Term Success...

10. Learn How To Budget - Personal budgeting made easy

4.5

(2,655)

Everything you need to KNOW and everything you need to DO to set and stick to a monthly budget...

11. Projects Cost Management, Estimating, Budgeting and Control.

4.1

(1,381)

Learn how to estimate costs for any project, how to determine budget and how to use Earned Value Management tools. 3 PDU...

12. Filmmaking Secrets! Write a ZERO Budget MovieMaster Course

4.5

(255)

Screenwriting for micro-budget feature films that you can produce...

13. Learn to be a Financial Analyst

4.8

(552)

Master the skills you need to get a job as a financial analyst: forecasting, budgets, variance analysis and more...

14. Financial Budgeting and Forecasting In Excel Complete Course

4.3

(806)

Template Included! Learn how to build a financial model using Microsoft Excel. Become a financial model expert...

15. Budgets, Cashflow Forecasting and Management Accounts

4.5

(817)

Financial Management and Making A Profit For Charities, Not-For-Profits & Small Businesses...

16. Cost Accounting: Introduction to Management Accounting

4.6

(1,071)

Learn Cost Accounting for Management. Includes Process Costing, ABC Systems, Variance Analysis, Cash Budgets and more...

17. Cost Accounting and Financial Management - A Complete Study

4.8

(268)

Learn theory and practical concepts in Cost Accounting and Financial Management with loads of video lectures...

18. Intro to Financial Analysis and Managerial Accounting!

4.5

(534)

Learn financial analysis fast!...

19. Financial Statement Analysis

4.7

(255)

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

20. Managerial and Cost Accounting: A Comprehensive Guide

4.6

(1,763)

Unlock Financial Insights, Make Informed Decisions: Optimize Business Performance, Maximize Profitability...

Top 10 most affordable universities for budget analysts

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

If the best universities for budget 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 budget 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. 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 budget analysts

The hardest universities for budget analysts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for budget 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 budget 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

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

The easiest schools for budget analysts 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 budget 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 budget 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. 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. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

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 budget analyst salary by education level

According to our data, budget analysts with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $62,295 annually. Budget analysts with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $57,825.

Budget analyst education level	Budget analyst salary
Master's Degree	$62,295
Bachelor's Degree	$57,825

Budget analyst education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a budget analyst?

What is the best college for Budget Analysts?

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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