Business planning analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a business planning analyst. Business planning analysts usually study business, finance, or accounting. 74% of business planning analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,492 real business planning analyst resumes to see exactly what business planning analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for business planning analysts are the University of Washington and the University of Washington.

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

There are certain business planning analyst certifications that you should consider. These business planning analyst certifications include Certified Manager Certification (CM) and Master Project Manager (MPM).

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

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

The most common degree for business planning analysts is bachelor's degree, with 74% of business planning 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 6%.

Bachelor's, 74%

Master's, 17%

Associate, 6%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

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

You should major in business to become a business planning analyst. 37% of business planning analysts major in business. Other common majors for a business planning analyst include finance and accounting.

Business, 37%

Finance, 14%

Accounting, 11%

Marketing, 6%

Other Majors, 32%

Most common colleges for business planning analysts

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

Business planning analyst common college	Percentages
University of Washington	11.46%
University of Phoenix	10.94%
Washington State University	7.81%
University of Houston	6.25%
Arizona State University	5.21%

Show more common business planning analyst colleges

Best majors for business planning analysts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	37.3%
2	Finance	14.1%
3	Accounting	10.9%
4	Marketing	6.2%
5	Economics	5.3%

Show more common business planning analyst majors

Best colleges for business planning analysts

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

A business planning 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 planning 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 planning 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 planning analysts

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Top 10 most affordable universities for business planning analysts

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

If the best universities for business planning 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 planning 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 planning analysts

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

Some great schools for business planning 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 planning 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

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 planning analysts

The easiest schools for business planning 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 planning 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 planning 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 planning analyst salary by education level

Business planning analysts with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $85,695 annually. With a Master's degree, business planning analysts earn a median annual income of $82,222 compared to $76,327 for business planning analysts with an Bachelor's degree.

Business planning analyst education level	Business planning analyst salary
Master's Degree	$82,222
Bachelor's Degree	$76,327
Doctorate Degree	$85,695

Business planning analyst education FAQs

What is the best college for Business Planning 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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