Equity research analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an equity research analyst. Equity research analysts usually study finance, business, or economics. 70% of equity research analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,837 real equity research analyst resumes to see exactly what equity research analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for equity research analysts are the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa.

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

There are certain equity research analyst certifications that you should consider. These equity research analyst certifications include Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA).

What education do you need to become an equity research analyst?

What degree do you need to be an equity research analyst?

The most common degree for equity research analysts is bachelor's degree, with 70% of equity research analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 27% and master's degree degree at 1%.

Bachelor's, 70%

Master's, 27%

Doctorate, 1%

Associate, 1%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become an equity research analyst?

You should major in finance to become an equity research analyst. 44% of equity research analysts major in finance. Other common majors for an equity research analyst include business and economics.

Finance, 44%

Business, 17%

Economics, 11%

Accounting, 8%

Other Majors, 20%

Most common colleges for equity research analysts

Equity research analysts often get their degrees at University of Iowa, Tulane University, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for equity research analysts in the US based on their resumes.

Equity research analyst common college	Percentages
University of Iowa	13.18%
Tulane University	10.29%
New York University	9.00%
University of Pennsylvania	6.43%
Ohio State University	5.47%

Show more common equity research analyst colleges

Best majors for equity research analysts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Finance	44.1%
2	Business	17.0%
3	Economics	11.4%
4	Accounting	8.1%
5	Political Science	3.0%

Show more common equity research analyst majors

Best colleges for equity research analysts

The best colleges for equity research analysts are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

An equity 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 equity 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 equity research 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 Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

4. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

20 best online courses for equity research analysts

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17. Financial Statement Analysis

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20. Build a DCF Valuation Model

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Top 10 most affordable universities for equity research analysts

The most affordable schools for equity research analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for equity 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 equity research 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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

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. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for equity research analysts

The hardest universities for equity research analysts to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for equity 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 equity 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

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. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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

The easiest schools for equity research analysts to get into are University of Houston - Downtown, barry university, and grand view university.

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

1. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average equity research analyst salary by education level

According to our data, equity research analysts with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $159,410 annually. Equity research analysts with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $136,380.

Equity research analyst education level	Equity research analyst salary
Master's Degree	$136,380
Bachelor's Degree	$118,437
Doctorate Degree	$159,410

Equity research analyst education FAQs

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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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