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Business planner education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a business planner. Business planners usually study business, finance, or accounting. 70% of business planners hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,020 real business planner resumes to see exactly what business planner education sections show.
The most common colleges for business planners are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online business planner courses to help get the education required to be a business planner.
There are certain business planner certifications that you should consider. These business planner certifications include Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become a business planner?
What degree do you need to be a business planner?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a business planner?
- Business, 36%
- Finance, 9%
- Accounting, 8%
- Marketing, 7%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for business planners
| Business planner common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.51% |
| San Jose State University | 9.35% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.19% |
| Michigan State University | 6.47% |
| San Diego State University | 5.76% |
Best majors for business planners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 35.5% |
| 2 | Finance | 9.0% |
| 3 | Accounting | 7.5% |
| 4 | Marketing | 7.1% |
| 5 | Management | 5.5% |
Best colleges for business planners
The best colleges for business planners are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A business planner 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 planners. 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 planners.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for business planners
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8. Business Plan: Outlines , Templates & Case Study
Learn Business Planning & Lean Thinking to develop a Complete Business Plan...
9. Lean BPM - Lean Business Process Management Change Skills
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10. Plan the Project as a Business Analyst - IIBA Endorsed
Increase your value as a Business Analyst by learning how to plan projects successfully without a Project Manager...
11. Business Process Mapping
The complete guide to map any business process...
12. Product Management Fundamentals
Case-based practical course on product management to build strong foundations in product concepts, process & frameworks...
13. Introduction to Business Process Modeling
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14. Business Mind - Mastering Business Development
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15. Coaching Business Plan How to Start a Life Coaching Business
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17. Business Continuity Management & ISO 22301 - Complete Guide
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18. How To Write A Simple And Successful Business Plan
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19. The Complete Business Process Management (BPM) Master Class
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20. Business Strategy Development: The Art of Differentiation
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Top 10 most affordable universities for business planners
The most affordable schools for business planners are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for business planners 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 planners.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
10. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business planners
The hardest universities for business planners to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for business planners 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 planners 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business planners
The easiest schools for business planners to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a business planner 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 planners.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
9. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average business planner salary by education level
| Business planner education level | Business planner salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $122,198 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $115,947 |
Business planner education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025