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Category analyst education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a category analyst. Category analysts usually study business, marketing, or finance. 79% of category analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,139 real category analyst resumes to see exactly what category analyst education sections show.
The most common colleges for category analysts are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online category analyst courses to help get the education required to be a category analyst.
There are certain category analyst certifications that you should consider. These category analyst certifications include Certified Marketing Analyst (CMA) and Certified E-Marketing Analyst (CEA).
What education do you need to become a category analyst?
What degree do you need to be a category analyst?
- Bachelor's, 79%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a category analyst?
- Business, 37%
- Marketing, 20%
- Finance, 6%
- Management, 5%
- Other Majors, 32%
Most common colleges for category analysts
| Category analyst common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 16.56% |
| Western Michigan University | 11.04% |
| John Brown University | 6.75% |
| California State University - East Bay | 4.91% |
| University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | 4.91% |
Best majors for category analysts
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 37.1% |
| 2 | Marketing | 19.9% |
| 3 | Finance | 6.1% |
| 4 | Management | 5.1% |
| 5 | Communication | 4.9% |
Best colleges for category analysts
The best colleges for category analysts are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A category 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 category 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 category analysts.
1. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
4. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
5. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
20 best online courses for category analysts
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Top 10 most affordable universities for category analysts
The most affordable schools for category analysts are SUNY Farmingdale, fashion institute of technology, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for category 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 category analysts.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for category analysts
The hardest universities for category analysts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for category 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 category 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
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 category analysts
The easiest schools for category analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, lim college, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a category 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 category analysts.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Ursuline College
Pepper Pike, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,102
8. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
9. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
Average category analyst salary by education level
| Category analyst education level | Category analyst salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $69,439 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,804 |
| Doctorate Degree | $70,015 |
Category analyst education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025