Business information analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a business information analyst. Business information analysts usually study business, computer science, or finance. 70% of business information analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 979 real business information analyst resumes to see exactly what business information analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for business information analysts are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.

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

There are certain business information analyst certifications that you should consider. These business information analyst certifications include Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) and Professional Business Analyst Certificate.

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

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

The most common degree for business information analysts is bachelor's degree, with 70% of business information 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 10%.

Bachelor's, 70%

Master's, 17%

Associate, 10%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

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

You should major in business to become a business information analyst. 33% of business information analysts major in business. Other common majors for a business information analyst include computer science and finance.

Business, 33%

Computer Science, 9%

Finance, 7%

Computer Information Systems, 5%

Other Majors, 46%

Most common colleges for business information analysts

Business information analysts often get their degrees at Ohio State University, University of Phoenix, and University of South Florida. Here are the most common colleges for business information analysts in the US based on their resumes.

Business information analyst common college	Percentages
Ohio State University	10.34%
University of Phoenix	10.34%
University of South Florida	6.90%
Drexel University	6.90%
Boston University	6.03%

Show more common business information analyst colleges

Best majors for business information analysts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	32.8%
2	Computer Science	9.0%
3	Finance	6.6%
4	Computer Information Systems	5.2%
5	Management Information Systems	5.0%

Show more common business information analyst majors

Best colleges for business information analysts

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

A business information 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 information 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 information 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. 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 information analysts

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Use Python, SQL and Statistics to advance your programming skills and refine your ability to work with messy, complex datasets...

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Get hands-on practice with over 80 data structures and algorithm exercises and guidance from a dedicated mentor to help prepare you for interviews and on-the-job scenarios...

5. Business Analysis Process

The Business Analysis Process course will give you a foundational understanding of the process of business analysis and will introduce you to a framework that can be used within a variety of industries and organizations. You’ll see how an analyst assesses a business problem, prepares business requirements, and implements a solution. You will learn how to identify stakeholders, to analyze them, and to define their role in a business analysis project. You’ll also learn how to gather requirements...

6. Complete Introduction to Business Data Analysis

4.6

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Move beyond BASIC reports and learn data ANALYSIS. Learn to easily turn data into information, insight and intelligence...

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How to analyse and model business data requirements...

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4.5

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Building the business acumen you need to promote your projects to management...

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An introduction to knowledge-based methods for transforming your business into the intelligent enterprise...

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4.5

(17,735)

Get the foundation in business analysis you need to solve your organization's biggest problems...

20. Business Analysis and Project Delivery

(342)

Fundamentals of Business Analysis...

Top 10 most affordable universities for business information analysts

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

If the best universities for business information 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 information 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. 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 information analysts

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

Some great schools for business information 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 information 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

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 information analysts

The easiest schools for business information analysts 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 information 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 information analysts.

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 information analyst salary by education level

According to our data, business information analysts with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $82,852 annually. Business information analysts with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $79,247.

Business information analyst education level	Business information analyst salary
Master's Degree	$79,247
Bachelor's Degree	$73,153
Doctorate Degree	$82,852

Business information analyst education FAQs

What is the best college for Business Information Analysts?

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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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