Decision support analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a decision support analyst. Decision support analysts usually study business, accounting, or finance. 73% of decision support analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 866 real decision support analyst resumes to see exactly what decision support analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for decision support analysts are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

What education do you need to become a decision support analyst?

What degree do you need to be a decision support analyst?

The most common degree for decision support analysts is bachelor's degree, with 73% of decision support 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 7%.

Bachelor's, 73%

Master's, 17%

Associate, 7%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a decision support analyst?

You should major in business to become a decision support analyst. 26% of decision support analysts major in business. Other common majors for a decision support analyst include accounting and finance.

Business, 26%

Accounting, 16%

Finance, 10%

Computer Information Systems, 8%

Other Majors, 40%

Most common colleges for decision support analysts

Decision support analysts often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Central Arkansas, and University of South Florida. Here are the most common colleges for decision support analysts in the US based on their resumes.

Decision support analyst common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	9.65%
University of Central Arkansas	9.65%
University of South Florida	7.02%
University of Arkansas at Little Rock	6.14%
Texas A&M University	5.26%

Show more common decision support analyst colleges

Best majors for decision support analysts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	25.9%
2	Accounting	16.2%
3	Finance	10.1%
4	Computer Information Systems	7.7%
5	Computer Science	6.0%

Show more common decision support analyst majors

Best colleges for decision support analysts

The best colleges for decision support analysts are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A decision support 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 support 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 support 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. 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 decision support analysts

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Top 10 most affordable universities for decision support analysts

The most affordable schools for decision support analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for decision support 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 support 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. 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 decision support analysts

The hardest universities for decision support analysts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for decision support 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 support 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. 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 decision support analysts

The easiest schools for decision support analysts 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 decision support 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 support 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. 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 decision support analyst salary by education level

According to our data, decision support analysts with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $98,234 annually. Decision support analysts with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $93,636.

Decision support analyst education level	Decision support analyst salary
Master's Degree	$98,234
High School Diploma or Less	$75,856
Bachelor's Degree	$85,003
Doctorate Degree	$93,636
Some College/ Associate Degree	$77,568

Decision support analyst education FAQs

What is the best college for Decision Support 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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