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Economic consultant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an economic consultant. Economic consultants usually study economics, finance, or business. 56% of economic consultants hold a bachelor's degree, and 33% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 348 real economic consultant resumes to see exactly what economic consultant education sections show.

The most common colleges for economic consultants are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

There are also many online economic consultant courses to help get the education required to be an economic consultant.

What education do you need to become an economic consultant?

What degree do you need to be an economic consultant?

The most common degree for economic consultants is bachelor's degree, with 56% of economic consultants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 33% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 56%
  • Master's, 33%
  • Doctorate, 7%
  • Associate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become an economic consultant?

You should major in economics to become an economic consultant. 39% of economic consultants major in economics. Other common majors for an economic consultant include finance and business.

Most common colleges for economic consultants

Economic consultants often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, Cornell University, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for economic consultants in the US based on their resumes.
Economic consultant common collegePercentages
University of California - Davis8.96%
Cornell University7.46%
University of Florida5.97%
University of California, Berkeley5.97%
Georgetown University5.97%

Best majors for economic consultants

RankMajorPercentages
1Economics39.1%
2Finance10.2%
3Business8.9%
4Political Science5.5%
5Mathematics4.3%

Best colleges for economic consultants

The best colleges for economic consultants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

An economic 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 economic 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 economic consultants.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,909

Enrollment

6,348

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

20 best online courses for economic consultants

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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

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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. The Economics of AI

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12. Introduction to Economic Theories

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Wondering why economists have not predicted serious financial crises? Shocked by economic assumptions of human behavior as self-centered and focusing only on what can be measured? Asking yourself if there are no sensible economic alternatives to free markets? Then you are at the right place to learn economics! This is the first online course that teaches economics from a pluralist perspective. Economic pluralism means that a plurality of theoretical and methodological viewpoints is regarded as...

13. The Art and Science of Economic Policy

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NINETY HOURS : Micro/Macro/Global/Business/Behavioural Economics...

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19. Social and Economic Networks: Models and Analysis

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20. Economics: Behavior of Buyers and Sellers & Product Pricing

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Top 10 most affordable universities for economic consultants

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

If the best universities for economic 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 economic 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 South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for economic consultants

The hardest universities for economic consultants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for economic 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 economic 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

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

The easiest schools for economic consultants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an economic 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 economic 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. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average economic consultant salary by education level

Economic consultants with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $96,837 annually. With a Master's degree, economic consultants earn a median annual income of $91,457 compared to $82,520 for economic consultants with an Bachelor's degree.
Economic consultant education levelEconomic consultant salary
Master's Degree$91,457
Bachelor's Degree$82,520
Doctorate Degree$96,837

Economic consultant education FAQs

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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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