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Development research analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a development research analyst. Development research analysts usually study business, chemistry, or economics. 71% of development research analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 521 real development research analyst resumes to see exactly what development research analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for development research analysts are the New York University and the New York University.

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

What education do you need to become a development research analyst?

What degree do you need to be a development research analyst?

The most common degree for development research analysts is bachelor's degree, with 71% of development research analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 71%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a development research analyst?

You should major in business to become a development research analyst. 24% of development research analysts major in business. Other common majors for a development research analyst include chemistry and economics.

Most common colleges for development research analysts

Development research analysts often get their degrees at New York University, University of California, Santa Barbara, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for development research analysts in the US based on their resumes.
Development research analyst common collegePercentages
New York University8.11%
University of California, Santa Barbara8.11%
University of Maryland - College Park6.76%
Temple University5.41%
Harvard University5.41%

Best majors for development research analysts

RankMajorPercentages
1Business24.0%
2Chemistry8.4%
3Economics8.0%
4Finance7.2%
5Political Science6.8%

Best colleges for development research analysts

The best colleges for development research analysts are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

A development research 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 development research 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 development research analysts.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

5. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for development research analysts

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4. Marketing Analytics

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Gain an in-depth understanding of Google Analytics and marketing analytics. Analyze data and build models with Excel, Data Studio, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...

5. Market Research

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6. Market Research

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"Finding the Story in the Data” is the most important emerging capability for market researchers according to GRIT (Greenbook Research Industry Trends) Report 2016. This specialization, designed for learners with no previous Marketing Research experience teaches a comprehensive marketing research approach that will help learners find and communicate the story in the data.\n\nStudents will learn how to initiate a research project for targeted business needs, conduct research through multiple...

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13. Understanding Research Methods

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This MOOC is about demystifying research and research methods. It will outline the fundamentals of doing research, aimed primarily, but not exclusively, at the postgraduate level. It places the student experience at the centre of our endeavours by engaging learners in a range of robust and challenging discussions and exercises befitting SOAS, University of London's status as a research-intensive university and its rich research heritage. The course will appeal to those of you who require an...

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Learn Market Sizing & Forecasting, Survey Design, Customer & Competitor Analysis to become a PRO Market Research Analyst...

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17. Intro to Data Analysis

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19. Marketing Analytics: The Full Marketing Research Masterclass

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#1 Course on Marketing Analytics: Become a marketing analytics & strategy expert...

20. Data Visualization

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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...

Top 10 most affordable universities for development research analysts

The most affordable schools for development research analysts are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and florida state university.

If the best universities for development research 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 development research analysts.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for development research analysts

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

Some great schools for development research 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 development research 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

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for development research analysts

The easiest schools for development research analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

7. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

8. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

9. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

10. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

Average development research analyst salary by education level

According to our data, development research analysts with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $84,811 annually. Development research analysts with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $83,935.
Development research analyst education levelDevelopment research analyst salary
Master's Degree$83,935
Bachelor's Degree$72,513
Doctorate Degree$84,811

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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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