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Business operations consultant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a business operations consultant. Business operations consultants usually study business, finance, or marketing. 66% of business operations consultants hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 713 real business operations consultant resumes to see exactly what business operations consultant education sections show.

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

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

What education do you need to become a business operations consultant?

What degree do you need to be a business operations consultant?

The most common degree for business operations consultants is bachelor's degree, with 66% of business operations consultants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 66%
  • Master's, 20%
  • Associate, 10%
  • Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a business operations consultant?

You should major in business to become a business operations consultant. 39% of business operations consultants major in business. Other common majors for a business operations consultant include finance and marketing.

Most common colleges for business operations consultants

Business operations consultants often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Wisconsin Colleges, and Auburn University Main Campus. Here are the most common colleges for business operations consultants in the US based on their resumes.
Business operations consultant common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix17.39%
University of Wisconsin Colleges6.52%
Auburn University Main Campus5.43%
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler5.43%
Pennsylvania State University5.43%

Best majors for business operations consultants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business39.4%
2Finance9.5%
3Marketing6.2%
4Accounting5.2%
5Computer Science4.6%

Best colleges for business operations consultants

The best colleges for business operations consultants are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.

A business operations 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 operations 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 operations consultants.

1. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

6. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

20 best online courses for business operations consultants

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1. Operations Management A-Z: Business Processes and Systems

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Practical guide on how to improve production and operations in a firm and analyze potential savings in Excel...

6. Operations Management: Facilities Planning and Management

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Operations Management Training Program (Course 8 of 8)...

7. FMCG for Management Consultants and Business Analysts

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8. Human Resources (HR) as a Business Partner

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9. Business Process Mapping

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20. MBA: Supply Chain and Operation management

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Tactics, Tools, and Techniques required to become a Supply chain and operation manager...

Top 10 most affordable universities for business operations consultants

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

If the best universities for business operations 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 operations 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. 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. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business operations consultants

The hardest universities for business operations consultants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.

Some great schools for business operations 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 operations 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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

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

The easiest schools for business operations consultants to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and notre dame college.

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average business operations consultant salary by education level

According to our data, business operations consultants with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $140,498 annually. Business operations consultants with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $138,093.
Business operations consultant education levelBusiness operations consultant salary
Master's Degree$138,093
Bachelor's Degree$125,409
Doctorate Degree$140,498
Some College/ Associate Degree$108,997

Business operations 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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