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Finance compliance officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a finance compliance officer. Finance compliance officers usually study accounting, business, or finance. 66% of finance compliance officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 255 real finance compliance officer resumes to see exactly what finance compliance officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for finance compliance officers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online finance compliance officer courses to help get the education required to be a finance compliance officer.
What education do you need to become a finance compliance officer?
What degree do you need to be a finance compliance officer?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 8%
- Doctorate, 6%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a finance compliance officer?
- Accounting, 30%
- Business, 25%
- Finance, 12%
- Law, 5%
- Other Majors, 28%
Most common colleges for finance compliance officers
| Finance compliance officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 7.32% |
| Fordham University | 7.32% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.32% |
| Texas A&M University | 7.32% |
| Trident University International | 4.88% |
Best majors for finance compliance officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting | 30.2% |
| 2 | Business | 25.3% |
| 3 | Finance | 11.5% |
| 4 | Law | 4.9% |
| 5 | Economics | 3.3% |
Best colleges for finance compliance officers
The best colleges for finance compliance officers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
A finance compliance officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for finance compliance officers. 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 finance compliance officers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
20 best online courses for finance compliance officers
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5. Cybersecurity Management and Compliance
In this course, you’ll learn about data and record management, Information security, standards and policy formation, and implementation. You’ll also explore cloud adoption frameworks and regulatory compliance frameworks. This course will take you one step closer to the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate, which requires no degree or prior experience. After completing this course, you'll be able to: • Explain the principles of cloud security planning • Identify security...
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11. Anti-Money Laundering Concepts: AML, KYC and Compliance
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12. Anti Money Laundering & Countering of Terrorist Financing
From Leading Subject Matter Experts, Compliance , AML/CFT (Consolidated Quick Learning Video)...
13. Build Powerful Compliance Programs & Prevent Corporate Fraud
Learn everything you need to know to build an effective and powerful compliance culture and prevent corporate fraud...
14. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Compliance
This course offers guidelines to recognizing, understanding and dealing with bribery, corruption and compliance...
15. 3-in-1 Banking, Banking Risk and Compliance Masterclass
The essentials of the banking business (business model, compliance, others), financial risk management and compliance...
16. Sanctions Compliance Bootcamp - Including AML/KYC Lectures
Learn to navigate the increasingly complex sanctions compliance landscape and how to effectively manage sanctions risks...
17. Internal Controls - Design, Implementation and Monitoring
Become a compliance specialist, maintain strong internal controls for SOX or FCPA, prepare for internal & external audit...
18. Compliance Training for Employees
Compliance: a simple, comprehensive and effective way to protect your company!...
19. HR 101: Compliance Made Easy - U.S. Employers Must Have
Streamline the most critical human resource (HR) processes and be in compliance with U.S. employment regulations...
20. Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing
AML Concepts, Customer Due Diligence Principles, Controls and Procedures...
Top 10 most affordable universities for finance compliance officers
The most affordable schools for finance compliance officers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for finance compliance officers 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 finance compliance officers.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for finance compliance officers
The hardest universities for finance compliance officers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for finance compliance officers 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 finance compliance officers 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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for finance compliance officers
The easiest schools for finance compliance officers to get into are Barry University, university of the incarnate word, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a finance compliance officer 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 finance compliance officers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
5. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
Average finance compliance officer salary by education level
| Finance compliance officer education level | Finance compliance officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $90,813 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $64,549 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $80,618 |
| Doctorate Degree | $103,323 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $68,796 |
Finance compliance officer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025