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Commercial loan officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a commercial loan officer. Commercial loan officers usually study business, finance, or accounting. 76% of commercial loan officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,105 real commercial loan officer resumes to see exactly what commercial loan officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for commercial loan officers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online commercial loan officer courses to help get the education required to be a commercial loan officer.

What education do you need to become a commercial loan officer?

What degree do you need to be a commercial loan officer?

The most common degree for commercial loan officers is bachelor's degree, with 76% of commercial loan officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 76%
  • Master's, 13%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a commercial loan officer?

You should major in business to become a commercial loan officer. 35% of commercial loan officers major in business. Other common majors for a commercial loan officer include finance and accounting.

Most common colleges for commercial loan officers

Commercial loan officers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Brigham Young University, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for commercial loan officers in the US based on their resumes.
Commercial loan officer common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix8.50%
Brigham Young University7.50%
Arizona State University7.00%
California State University - San Bernardino6.50%
University of Utah6.50%

Best majors for commercial loan officers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business35.3%
2Finance22.3%
3Accounting9.2%
4Economics6.4%
5Management4.0%

Best colleges for commercial loan officers

The best colleges for commercial loan officers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A commercial loan officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for commercial loan officers. 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 commercial loan officers.

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. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for commercial loan officers

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18. The Business Loan Formula

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Learn how the business lending process works, including what types of information lenders are looking at and why!...

19. Effectively Lease Commercial Real Estate Properties

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20. Start a Profitable Career as a Mortgage Loan Originator

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Top 10 most affordable universities for commercial loan officers

The most affordable schools for commercial loan officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for commercial loan officers 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 commercial loan officers.

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for commercial loan officers

The hardest universities for commercial loan officers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for commercial loan officers 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 commercial loan officers 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for commercial loan officers

The easiest schools for commercial loan officers 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 commercial loan officer 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 commercial loan officers.

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. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average commercial loan officer salary by education level

Commercial loan officers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $84,635 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, commercial loan officers earn a median annual income of $78,430 compared to $70,398 for commercial loan officers with an Associate degree.
Commercial loan officer education levelCommercial loan officer salary
Master's Degree$84,635
High School Diploma or Less$69,848
Bachelor's Degree$78,430
Some College/ Associate Degree$70,398

Commercial loan officer education FAQs

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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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