Decision analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a decision analyst. Decision analysts usually study business, economics, or mathematics. 64% of decision analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 119 real decision analyst resumes to see exactly what decision analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for decision analysts are the Monroe College and the Monroe College.

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

What education do you need to become a decision analyst?

What degree do you need to be a decision analyst?

The most common degree for decision analysts is bachelor's degree, with 64% of decision analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 26% and master's degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 64%

Master's, 26%

Associate, 5%

Doctorate, 4%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a decision analyst?

You should major in business to become a decision analyst. 21% of decision analysts major in business. Other common majors for a decision analyst include economics and mathematics.

Business, 21%

Economics, 12%

Mathematics, 7%

Computer Science, 7%

Other Majors, 53%

Most common colleges for decision analysts

Decision analysts often get their degrees at Monroe College, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Here are the most common colleges for decision analysts in the US based on their resumes.

Decision analyst common college	Percentages
Monroe College	8.33%
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities	8.33%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	5.56%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	5.56%
Texas A&M University San Antonio	5.56%

Show more common decision analyst colleges

Best majors for decision analysts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	20.7%
2	Economics	12.2%
3	Mathematics	7.3%
4	Computer Science	7.3%
5	Statistics	6.1%

Show more common decision analyst majors

Best colleges for decision analysts

The best colleges for decision analysts are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A decision 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 decision 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 decision analysts.

1. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

20 best online courses for decision analysts

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Top 10 most affordable universities for decision analysts

The most affordable schools for decision analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for decision 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 decision 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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for decision analysts

The hardest universities for decision analysts to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for decision 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 decision 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

6. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for decision analysts

The easiest schools for decision analysts to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, felician university, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a decision 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 decision analysts.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

7. American International College

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,010

8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average decision analyst salary by education level

Decision analysts with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $94,236 annually. With a Master's degree, decision analysts earn a median annual income of $90,585 compared to $82,029 for decision analysts with an Bachelor's degree.

Decision analyst education level	Decision analyst salary
Master's Degree	$90,585
Bachelor's Degree	$82,029
Doctorate Degree	$94,236
Some College/ Associate Degree	$72,717

Decision analyst education FAQs

What is the best college for Decision 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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