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Business & finance analyst education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a business & finance analyst. Business & finance analysts usually study business, finance, or accounting. 71% of business & finance analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,102 real business & finance analyst resumes to see exactly what business & finance analyst education sections show.
The most common colleges for business & finance analysts are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online business & finance analyst courses to help get the education required to be a business & finance analyst.
There are certain business & finance analyst certifications that you should consider. These business & finance analyst certifications include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP).
What education do you need to become a business & finance analyst?
What degree do you need to be a business & finance analyst?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 5%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a business & finance analyst?
- Business, 31%
- Finance, 22%
- Accounting, 20%
- Economics, 6%
- Other Majors, 21%
Most common colleges for business & finance analysts
| Business & finance analyst common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.71% |
| Arizona State University | 6.31% |
| New York University | 6.01% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.71% |
| University of Houston | 5.71% |
Best majors for business & finance analysts
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 30.8% |
| 2 | Finance | 22.3% |
| 3 | Accounting | 20.0% |
| 4 | Economics | 5.9% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 2.8% |
Best colleges for business & finance analysts
The best colleges for business & finance analysts are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
A business & finance 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 & finance 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 & finance 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. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
10. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
20 best online courses for business & finance analysts
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Top 10 most affordable universities for business & finance analysts
The most affordable schools for business & finance analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for business & finance 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 & finance 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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business & finance analysts
The hardest universities for business & finance analysts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for business & finance 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 & finance 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business & finance analysts
The easiest schools for business & finance analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and university of houston - downtown.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a business & finance 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 & finance 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. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average business & finance analyst salary by education level
| Business & finance analyst education level | Business & finance analyst salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $78,389 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $69,991 |
| Doctorate Degree | $88,857 |
Business & finance analyst education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025