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Business strategy consultant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a business strategy consultant. Business strategy consultants usually study business, finance, or economics. 68% of business strategy consultants hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 643 real business strategy consultant resumes to see exactly what business strategy consultant education sections show.

The most common colleges for business strategy consultants are the Boston University and the Boston University.

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

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

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

The most common degree for business strategy consultants is bachelor's degree, with 68% of business strategy consultants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 28% and master's degree degree at 1%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Master's, 28%
  • Associate, 1%
  • Doctorate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

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

You should major in business to become a business strategy consultant. 25% of business strategy consultants major in business. Other common majors for a business strategy consultant include finance and economics.

Most common colleges for business strategy consultants

Business strategy consultants often get their degrees at Boston University, University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University. Here are the most common colleges for business strategy consultants in the US based on their resumes.
Business strategy consultant common collegePercentages
Boston University7.84%
University of Pennsylvania6.86%
Cornell University6.86%
Michigan State University5.88%
Purdue University5.88%

Best majors for business strategy consultants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business25.3%
2Finance12.1%
3Economics8.5%
4Marketing7.2%
5Management5.4%

Best colleges for business strategy consultants

The best colleges for business strategy consultants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A business strategy 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 strategy 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 strategy consultants.

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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

20 best online courses for business strategy consultants

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15. Business Analysis Fundamentals for Management Consultants

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16. Business Fundamentals: Corporate Strategy

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20. Supply Chain for Management Consultants & Business Analysts

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Top 10 most affordable universities for business strategy consultants

The most affordable schools for business strategy consultants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for business strategy 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 strategy 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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

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 - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business strategy consultants

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

Some great schools for business strategy 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 strategy 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

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

The easiest schools for business strategy consultants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and university of the incarnate word.

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

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. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average business strategy consultant salary by education level

According to our data, business strategy consultants with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $136,277 annually. Business strategy consultants with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $128,959.
Business strategy consultant education levelBusiness strategy consultant salary
Master's Degree$128,959
Bachelor's Degree$116,771
Doctorate Degree$136,277

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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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