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Client advisor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a client advisor. Client advisors usually study business, finance, or marketing. 64% of client advisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,012 real client advisor resumes to see exactly what client advisor education sections show.
The most common colleges for client advisors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online client advisor courses to help get the education required to be a client advisor.
There are certain client advisor certifications that you should consider. These client advisor certifications include Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).
What education do you need to become a client advisor?
What degree do you need to be a client advisor?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Associate, 14%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a client advisor?
- Business, 35%
- Finance, 9%
- Marketing, 7%
- Communication, 5%
- Other Majors, 44%
Most common colleges for client advisors
| Client advisor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.22% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 8.33% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.37% |
| Florida State University | 5.88% |
| Ohio State University | 5.39% |
Best majors for client advisors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 35.4% |
| 2 | Finance | 8.9% |
| 3 | Marketing | 6.7% |
| 4 | Communication | 5.3% |
| 5 | Psychology | 5.2% |
Best colleges for client advisors
The best colleges for client advisors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
A client advisor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for client advisors. 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 client advisors.
1. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
2. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
20 best online courses for client advisors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for client advisors
The most affordable schools for client advisors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for client advisors 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 client advisors.
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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for client advisors
The hardest universities for client advisors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
Some great schools for client advisors 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 client advisors 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for client advisors
The easiest schools for client advisors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a client advisor 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 client advisors.
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. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
Average client advisor salary by education level
| Client advisor education level | Client advisor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $80,706 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $74,183 |
| Doctorate Degree | $87,243 |
Client advisor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025