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Finance counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a finance counselor. Finance counselors usually study business, health care administration, or accounting. 47% of finance counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 10,562 real finance counselor resumes to see exactly what finance counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for finance counselors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online finance counselor courses to help get the education required to be a finance counselor.
There are certain finance counselor certifications that you should consider. These finance counselor certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS).
What education do you need to become a finance counselor?
What degree do you need to be a finance counselor?
- Bachelor's, 47%
- Associate, 22%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Master's, 7%
- Other Degrees, 12%
What should I major in to become a finance counselor?
- Business, 33%
- Accounting, 7%
- Psychology, 6%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for finance counselors
| Finance counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 37.02% |
| The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | 6.35% |
| University of Central Florida | 4.70% |
| American InterContinental University | 4.42% |
| Arizona State University | 4.28% |
Best majors for finance counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 32.8% |
| 2 | Health Care Administration | 11.5% |
| 3 | Accounting | 7.0% |
| 4 | Psychology | 5.7% |
| 5 | General Studies | 4.5% |
Best colleges for finance counselors
The best colleges for finance counselors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A finance counselor 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 counselors. 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 counselors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
3. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for finance counselors
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6. How to Read Financial Statements: Build Financial Literacy.
Read financial statements and speak the language of business without the drudgery of a traditional accounting course...
7. ACCA: FA (F3) Financial Accounting
Let's get to grasps of how to perform the basics of financial accounting...
8. Financial Statement Analysis - Master the Financial Stmts!
Gain a comprehensive knowledge of the 3 financial statements and how to make them tell you a story...
9. Financial Statements Analysis for absolute beginners
Understand Financial Statements and Analyze Financial Statements for Business and Financial Analysis...
10. Principles of Financial Accounting
Learn the complete accounting cycle -recording business transactions to presenting the Balance Sheet & Income Statement...
11. Audit - Financial Statement
Master the Art of Auditing Financial Statements: In-Depth Analysis, Techniques, and Real-World Case Studies...
12. Personal Finance: Financial Security Thinking & Principles
How to secure your financial future the fun & easy way! Personal Finance: Financial Security Thinking & Principles...
13. Financial Statement Auditing Cycles
In this course, we learn how public accountants plan and execute an audit...
14. Financial Statements: Balance Sheet, Income Stmt, Cash Flow
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15. Financial Accounting: The Complete Introductory Crash Course
Learn the Basics of Financial Accounting: Financial Statements, Debits and Credits, The Accounting Cycle and More!...
16. Accounting basics, create financial statements easily
Discover, develop, practice your financial information and explore the world of accounting...
17. Financial Analysis and Financial Modeling using MS Excel
Perform financial analysis & financial modeling using Microsoft excel. For people who want to become a Financial Analyst...
18. Financial modeling Project Finance & Infrastructure
Learn how build a project finance model & support infrastructure finance deals around the globe!...
19. Financial Modeling in Excel: Masterclass w/ Financial basics
Financial Modeling in Excel - Master the art, covering all the Financial and Accounting basics for Financial Modeling...
20. Microsoft Excel for Finance, Accounting & Financial Analysis
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Top 10 most affordable universities for finance counselors
The most affordable schools for finance counselors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for finance counselors 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 counselors.
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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for finance counselors
The hardest universities for finance counselors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for finance counselors 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 counselors 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for finance counselors
The easiest schools for finance counselors to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and ottawa university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a finance counselor 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 counselors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
Average finance counselor salary by education level
| Finance counselor education level | Finance counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $42,682 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,254 |
| Doctorate Degree | $44,045 |
Finance counselor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025