Finance Planner Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a finance planner. Finance planners usually study business, finance, or accounting. 73% of finance planners hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,356 real finance planner resumes to see exactly what finance planner education sections show.

The most common colleges for finance planners are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online finance planner courses to help get the education required to be a finance planner.

There are certain finance planner certifications that you should consider. These finance planner certifications include Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI).

What education do you need to become a finance planner?

What degree do you need to be a finance planner?

The most common degree for finance planners is bachelor's degree, with 73% of finance planners earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 73%

Master's, 11%

Associate, 11%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a finance planner?

You should major in business to become a finance planner. 30% of finance planners major in business. Other common majors for a finance planner include finance and accounting.

Business, 30%

Finance, 18%

Accounting, 10%

Economics, 6%

Other Majors, 36%

Most common colleges for finance planners

Finance planners often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of South Florida, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for finance planners in the US based on their resumes.

Finance Planner Common College	Percentages
University of Phoenix	16.00%
University of South Florida	8.24%
Arizona State University	6.59%
Florida State University	6.35%
University of Iowa	5.41%

Show more common finance planner colleges

Best majors for finance planners

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	30.1%
2	Finance	18.2%
3	Accounting	10.2%
4	Economics	6.0%
5	Marketing	4.5%

Show more common finance planner majors

Best colleges for finance planners

The best colleges for finance planners are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

A finance planner 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 planners. 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 planners.

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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

20 best online courses for finance planners

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Top 10 most affordable universities for finance planners

The most affordable schools for finance planners are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for finance planners 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 planners.

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,587

Cost of Attendance

13,043

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Cost of Attendance

16,091

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,240

Cost of Attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,942

Cost of Attendance

14,469

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,381

Cost of Attendance

21,034

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,620

Cost of Attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,798

Cost of Attendance

18,306

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$4,094

Cost of Attendance

14,302

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,556

Cost of Attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for finance planners

The hardest universities for finance planners to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

Some great schools for finance planners 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 planners 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

SAT Average

1,492

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

22%

SAT Average

1,420

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. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

29%

SAT Average

1,407

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions Rate

10%

SAT Average

1,514

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

43%

SAT Average

1,338

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions Rate

42%

SAT Average

1,380

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

40%

SAT Average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for finance planners

The easiest schools for finance planners to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a finance planner 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 planners.

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. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions Rate

91%

SAT Average

1,006

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions Rate

90%

SAT Average

994

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

83%

SAT Average

992

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

99%

SAT Average

1,008

7. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

72%

SAT Average

1,017

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions Rate

78%

SAT Average

1,024

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions Rate

84%

SAT Average

1,069

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions Rate

86%

SAT Average

991

Average finance planner salary by education level

Finance planners with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $86,834 annually. With a Master's degree, finance planners earn a median annual income of $80,675 compared to $74,502 for finance planners with an Bachelor's degree.

Finance Planner education level	Finance Planner salary
Master's Degree	$80,675
Bachelor's Degree	$74,502
Doctorate Degree	$86,834

Finance Planner Education FAQs

What is the best college for Finance Planners?

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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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