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Business analyst-consultant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a business analyst-consultant. Business analyst-consultants usually study business, computer science, or finance. 69% of business analyst-consultants hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 7,564 real business analyst-consultant resumes to see exactly what business analyst-consultant education sections show.

The most common colleges for business analyst-consultants are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain business analyst-consultant certifications that you should consider. These business analyst-consultant certifications include Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP).

What education do you need to become a business analyst-consultant?

What degree do you need to be a business analyst-consultant?

The most common degree for business analyst-consultants is bachelor's degree, with 69% of business analyst-consultants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 21% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 69%
  • Master's, 21%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a business analyst-consultant?

You should major in business to become a business analyst-consultant. 30% of business analyst-consultants major in business. Other common majors for a business analyst-consultant include computer science and finance.

Most common colleges for business analyst-consultants

Business analyst-consultants often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Here are the most common colleges for business analyst-consultants in the US based on their resumes.
Business analyst-consultant common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix14.57%
New York University6.06%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey6.06%
Northeastern University5.73%
George Washington University, The5.73%

Best majors for business analyst-consultants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business29.8%
2Computer Science9.8%
3Finance8.9%
4Accounting6.9%
5Economics4.7%

Best colleges for business analyst-consultants

The best colleges for business analyst-consultants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A business analyst-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 business analyst-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 business analyst-consultants.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

10. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

20 best online courses for business analyst-consultants

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15. Business Analyst: Software Testing Processes & Techniques

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16. Consulting Business: How to Start a Consulting Business

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17. Production for Management Consultants and Business Analysts

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19. Business Analyst: Project Management Techniques and Tools

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Learn project management techniques to increase your project success rate as a Business Analyst!...

20. Essential Excel for Business Analysts and Consultants

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Master the formulas and tricks that will save you time and make you as efficient as consultants in Mc Kinsey, BCG, Bain...

Top 10 most affordable universities for business analyst-consultants

The most affordable schools for business analyst-consultants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for business analyst-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 business analyst-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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

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 business analyst-consultants

The hardest universities for business analyst-consultants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for business analyst-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 business analyst-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. 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business analyst-consultants

The easiest schools for business analyst-consultants to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a business analyst-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 business analyst-consultants.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average business analyst-consultant salary by education level

According to our data, business analyst-consultants with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $103,024 annually. Business analyst-consultants with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $98,471.
Business analyst-consultant education levelBusiness analyst-consultant salary
Master's Degree$98,471
Bachelor's Degree$90,783
Doctorate Degree$103,024

Business analyst-consultant education FAQs

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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.

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