Business programmer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a business programmer. Business programmers usually study computer science, business, or mathematics. 67% of business programmers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 76 real business programmer resumes to see exactly what business programmer education sections show.

The most common colleges for business programmers are the Marquette University and the Marquette University.

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

What education do you need to become a business programmer?

What degree do you need to be a business programmer?

The most common degree for business programmers is bachelor's degree, with 67% of business programmers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 67%

Master's, 15%

Associate, 13%

Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a business programmer?

You should major in computer science to become a business programmer. 28% of business programmers major in computer science. Other common majors for a business programmer include business and mathematics.

Computer Science, 28%

Business, 14%

Mathematics, 11%

Computer Information Systems, 9%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for business programmers

Business programmers often get their degrees at Marquette University, New York University, and Texas A&M; University. Here are the most common colleges for business programmers in the US based on their resumes.

Business programmer common college	Percentages
Marquette University	9.52%
New York University	4.76%
Texas A&M University	4.76%
National University	4.76%
Southeastern University	4.76%

Show more common business programmer colleges

Best majors for business programmers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	28.1%
2	Business	14.0%
3	Mathematics	10.5%
4	Computer Information Systems	8.8%
5	Management Information Systems	7.0%

Show more common business programmer majors

Best colleges for business programmers

The best colleges for business programmers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A business programmer 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 programmers. 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 programmers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for business programmers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for business programmers

The most affordable schools for business programmers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for business programmers 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 programmers.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$7,879

Cost of attendance

21,223

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business programmers

The hardest universities for business programmers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for business programmers 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 programmers 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business programmers

The easiest schools for business programmers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, ottawa university, and notre dame college.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

5. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

6. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

7. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Cleary University

Howell, MI • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,039

10. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

Average business programmer salary by education level

According to our data, business programmers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $94,016 annually. Business programmers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $91,959.

Business programmer education level	Business programmer salary
Master's Degree	$91,959
Bachelor's Degree	$88,687
Doctorate Degree	$94,016
Some College/ Associate Degree	$79,325

Business programmer education FAQs

What is the best college for Business Programmers?

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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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