Post job

Corporate consultant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a corporate consultant. Corporate consultants usually study business, finance, or nursing. 66% of corporate consultants hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,262 real corporate consultant resumes to see exactly what corporate consultant education sections show.

The most common colleges for corporate consultants are the New York University and the New York University.

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

There are certain corporate consultant certifications that you should consider. These corporate consultant certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP).

What education do you need to become a corporate consultant?

What degree do you need to be a corporate consultant?

The most common degree for corporate consultants is bachelor's degree, with 66% of corporate consultants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 66%
  • Master's, 17%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a corporate consultant?

You should major in business to become a corporate consultant. 23% of corporate consultants major in business. Other common majors for a corporate consultant include finance and nursing.

Most common colleges for corporate consultants

Corporate consultants often get their degrees at New York University, University of Connecticut, and Northern Illinois University. Here are the most common colleges for corporate consultants in the US based on their resumes.
Corporate consultant common collegePercentages
New York University8.59%
University of Connecticut6.25%
Northern Illinois University6.25%
Syracuse University5.47%
University of Maryland - College Park5.47%

Best majors for corporate consultants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business23.4%
2Finance9.3%
3Nursing7.8%
4Accounting6.4%
5Marketing6.1%

Best colleges for corporate consultants

The best colleges for corporate consultants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

A corporate 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 corporate 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 corporate consultants.

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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,909

Enrollment

6,348

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$50,226

Enrollment

10,873

10. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

20 best online courses for corporate consultants

Advertising disclosure

1. Data Analysis Immersive (Full-time)

general_assembly

Learn to problem solve, and effectively communicate, like an analyst. This course teaches you to use industry-standard tools to make ethical, data-driven decisions. Experience hands-on training to master SQL, Excel, Tableau, PowerBI, and Python – tools listed in virtually every data analytics job posting across industries...

2. Data Analytics (Part Time)

general_assembly

Harness Excel, SQL, and Tableau to drive powerful analysis and insights. Build confidence and credibility to apply this versatile skill set to countless jobs. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

3. Data Analyst

udacity

Use Python, SQL and Statistics to advance your programming skills and refine your ability to work with messy, complex datasets...

4. Data Structures and Algorithms

udacity

Get hands-on practice with over 80 data structures and algorithm exercises and guidance from a dedicated mentor to help prepare you for interviews and on-the-job scenarios...

5. Management Consulting Skills Mastery

udemy
4.4
(1,626)

Problem solving, communication, corporate strategy, financial analysis, operations analysis. Everything is included!...

6. Accounting for Corporations - Financial Accounting

udemy
4.8
(281)

Demystifying Corporate Accounting: An In-depth Exploration of Financial Transactions in Corporations...

7. Intro to Data Analytics

general_assembly

Discover if data is a career fit for you Regardless of your industry or role, fluency in the language of data analytics will allow you to contribute to data driven decision making. In this free, two-hour livestream, you’ll learn to understand, analyze, and interpret data so you too can join the data conversation. We’ll cover how to ask the right questions of your data and basic analytic functionality. Then you’ll apply your new found data analytic skills to a real-world dataset, allowing you...

8. Data Visualization

udacity

You will start by building data visualizations and dashboards, considering your audiences to be as effective as possible. Then, you’ll move into drafting presentations using storytelling techniques, visualizations, and animations to provide data-driven recommendations...

9. Intro to Data Analysis

udacity

Start your data science journey right with this hands-on introduction to the discipline of data analysis. In this course you'll learn the 5 key stages of the data analysis process and apply them to real data sets using Python libraries NumPy, pandas, and Matplotlib...

10. Practical Project Management for Management Consultants

udemy
4.5
(809)

How to manage successfully a consulting project - a practical guide for Project Managers...

11. Finance & Accounting for Management Consultants and Analysts

udemy
4.4
(430)

A practical guide that will help you understand financial statements & do financial analyses during consulting projects...

12. Data Visualization

udacity

Discover how data visualization can communicate insights far more effectively than text or tables. In this course, you’ll learn how to build data visualizations programmatically using Python, and how you can use visualization to both discover and convey trends in your data...

13. Experimental Design & Recommendations

udacity

Learn two of the most in-demand skills in the entire field of data science! By the end of this course, you’ll know how to generate personalized recommendations based on user data, as well as run statistically valid tests that produce clean, interpretable results...

14. Financial Analysis for Management Consultants & Analysts

udemy
4.5
(271)

A practical guide with case studies and examples of financial analyses done during consulting projects...

15. Introduction to Compliance Risk Management CRM

udemy
4.1
(300)

Compliance risk management CRM for Compliance, Risk Management, Internal Audit and IS Security Professionals...

16. Financial Statement Auditing Cycles

udemy
4.3
(251)

In this course, we learn how public accountants plan and execute an audit...

17. Management Consulting Essential Training

udemy
4.5
(2,515)

Everything you need to know about the techniques of world's top management consulting firms to land 6-figure job offer...

18. Operational Risks Management ORM

udemy
4.3
(1,174)

Operational Risks Management ORM Case Studies for Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, IS Security, Banking Professionals...

19. Audit - Financial Statement

udemy
4.4
(2,545)

Master the Art of Auditing Financial Statements: In-Depth Analysis, Techniques, and Real-World Case Studies...

20. FMCG for Management Consultants and Business Analysts

udemy
4.5
(336)

A practical guide on how to analyze in Excel and improve consumer goods business during consulting projects...

Top 10 most affordable universities for corporate consultants

The most affordable schools for corporate consultants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for corporate 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 corporate 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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for corporate consultants

The hardest universities for corporate consultants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for corporate 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 corporate 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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 College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

10. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for corporate consultants

The easiest schools for corporate 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 corporate 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 corporate 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. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

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. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

Average corporate consultant salary by education level

According to our data, corporate consultants with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $142,461 annually. Corporate consultants with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $137,136.
Corporate consultant education levelCorporate consultant salary
Master's Degree$137,136
Bachelor's Degree$128,056
Doctorate Degree$142,461

Corporate consultant education FAQs

Search for corporate consultant jobs

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.

Browse business and financial jobs