Corporate finance analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a corporate finance analyst. Corporate finance analysts usually study business, finance, or accounting. 76% of corporate finance analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,635 real corporate finance analyst resumes to see exactly what corporate finance analyst education sections show.

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

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

There are certain corporate finance analyst certifications that you should consider. These corporate finance analyst certifications include Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

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

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

The most common degree for corporate finance analysts is bachelor's degree, with 76% of corporate finance analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 76%

Master's, 17%

Associate, 4%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

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

You should major in business to become a corporate finance analyst. 27% of corporate finance analysts major in business. Other common majors for a corporate finance analyst include finance and accounting.

Business, 27%

Finance, 27%

Accounting, 19%

Economics, 10%

Other Majors, 17%

Most common colleges for corporate finance analysts

Corporate finance analysts often get their degrees at New York University, University of Phoenix, and Pace University. Here are the most common colleges for corporate finance analysts in the US based on their resumes.

Corporate finance analyst common college	Percentages
New York University	7.62%
University of Phoenix	7.62%
Pace University	6.35%
University of Pennsylvania	5.40%
University of Texas at Austin	5.40%

Show more common corporate finance analyst colleges

Best majors for corporate finance analysts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	26.9%
2	Finance	26.6%
3	Accounting	19.4%
4	Economics	10.1%
5	Political Science	2.4%

Show more common corporate finance analyst majors

Best colleges for corporate finance analysts

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

A corporate 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 corporate 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 corporate 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 Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for corporate finance analysts

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20. Learn to be a Financial Analyst

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Top 10 most affordable universities for corporate finance analysts

The most affordable schools for corporate finance analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for corporate 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 corporate 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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for corporate finance analysts

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

Some great schools for corporate 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 corporate 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

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

The easiest schools for corporate finance analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a corporate 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 corporate 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. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

8. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average corporate finance analyst salary by education level

Corporate finance analysts with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $97,580 annually. With a Master's degree, corporate finance analysts earn a median annual income of $85,229 compared to $75,414 for corporate finance analysts with an Bachelor's degree.

Corporate finance analyst education level	Corporate finance analyst salary
Master's Degree	$85,229
Bachelor's Degree	$75,414
Doctorate Degree	$97,580

Corporate finance analyst education FAQs

What is the best college for Corporate Finance Analysts?

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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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