Chartered finance analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chartered finance analyst. Chartered finance analysts usually study finance, business, or economics. 77% of chartered finance analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 79 real chartered finance analyst resumes to see exactly what chartered finance analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for chartered finance analysts are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

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

What education do you need to become a chartered finance analyst?

What degree do you need to be a chartered finance analyst?

The most common degree for chartered finance analysts is bachelor's degree, with 77% of chartered finance analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 2%.

Bachelor's, 77%

Master's, 20%

Doctorate, 2%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a chartered finance analyst?

You should major in finance to become a chartered finance analyst. 34% of chartered finance analysts major in finance. Other common majors for a chartered finance analyst include business and economics.

Finance, 34%

Business, 13%

Economics, 13%

Accounting, 6%

Other Majors, 34%

Most common colleges for chartered finance analysts

Chartered finance analysts often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and Cleveland State University. Here are the most common colleges for chartered finance analysts in the US based on their resumes.

Chartered finance analyst common college	Percentages
University of California - Davis	8.70%
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs	8.70%
Cleveland State University	8.70%
Syracuse University	4.35%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	4.35%

Show more common chartered finance analyst colleges

Best majors for chartered finance analysts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Finance	33.9%
2	Business	12.9%
3	Economics	12.9%
4	Accounting	6.5%
5	Management	3.2%

Show more common chartered finance analyst majors

Best colleges for chartered finance analysts

The best colleges for chartered finance analysts are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

A chartered finance 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 chartered finance 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 chartered finance analysts.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

20 best online courses for chartered finance analysts

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6. Business Finance: A Complete Introduction

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20. Become a Data Analyst - (Python, Excel, SQL, Power BI )

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Top 10 most affordable universities for chartered finance analysts

The most affordable schools for chartered finance analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for chartered finance 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 chartered finance 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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chartered finance analysts

The hardest universities for chartered finance analysts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for chartered finance 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 chartered finance 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chartered finance analysts

The easiest schools for chartered finance analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and university of houston - downtown.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chartered finance 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 chartered finance 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. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average chartered finance analyst salary by education level

According to our data, chartered finance analysts with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $101,832 annually. Chartered finance analysts with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $85,119.

Chartered finance analyst education level	Chartered finance analyst salary
Master's Degree	$85,119
Bachelor's Degree	$72,382
Doctorate Degree	$101,832

Chartered finance analyst education FAQs

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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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