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Business development analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a business development analyst. Business development analysts usually study business, finance, or computer science. 74% of business development analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,851 real business development analyst resumes to see exactly what business development analyst education sections show.

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

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

There are certain business development analyst certifications that you should consider. These business development analyst certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

What education do you need to become a business development analyst?

What degree do you need to be a business development analyst?

The most common degree for business development analysts is bachelor's degree, with 74% of business development analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 74%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a business development analyst?

You should major in business to become a business development analyst. 26% of business development analysts major in business. Other common majors for a business development analyst include finance and computer science.

Most common colleges for business development analysts

Business development analysts often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and George Mason University. Here are the most common colleges for business development analysts in the US based on their resumes.
Business development analyst common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix8.99%
New York University7.58%
George Mason University7.30%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey7.02%
Pennsylvania State University6.18%

Best majors for business development analysts

RankMajorPercentages
1Business25.5%
2Finance12.1%
3Computer Science9.6%
4Economics6.2%
5Marketing5.6%

Best colleges for business development analysts

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

A business development 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 business development 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 business development analysts.

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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

7. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,909

Enrollment

6,348

20 best online courses for business development analysts

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17. Business Analysis: Developing Requirements

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20. Business Strategy Development: The Art of Differentiation

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Top 10 most affordable universities for business development analysts

The most affordable schools for business development analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for business development 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 business development 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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business development analysts

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

Some great schools for business development 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 business development 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

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 Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business development analysts

The easiest schools for business development analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a business development 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 business development 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 de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average business development analyst salary by education level

According to our data, business development analysts with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $71,748 annually. Business development analysts with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $67,490.
Business development analyst education levelBusiness development analyst salary
Master's Degree$67,490
Bachelor's Degree$60,458
Doctorate Degree$71,748

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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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