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Finance quantitative analyst education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a finance quantitative analyst. Finance quantitative analysts usually study finance, applied mathematics, or business. 49% of finance quantitative analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 42% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 92 real finance quantitative analyst resumes to see exactly what finance quantitative analyst education sections show.
The most common colleges for finance quantitative analysts are the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Austin.
There are also many online finance quantitative analyst courses to help get the education required to be a finance quantitative analyst.
What education do you need to become a finance quantitative analyst?
What degree do you need to be a finance quantitative analyst?
- Bachelor's, 49%
- Master's, 42%
- Doctorate, 7%
- Associate, 1%
What should I major in to become a finance quantitative analyst?
Most common colleges for finance quantitative analysts
| Finance quantitative analyst common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin | 9.09% |
| University of Southern California | 9.09% |
| Montana State University - Bozeman | 4.55% |
| Purdue University | 4.55% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 4.55% |
Best majors for finance quantitative analysts
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | 32.4% |
| 2 | Applied Mathematics | 8.8% |
| 3 | Business | 7.4% |
| 4 | Economics | 7.4% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering | 5.9% |
Best colleges for finance quantitative analysts
The best colleges for finance quantitative analysts are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
A finance quantitative 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 finance quantitative 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 finance quantitative 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
20 best online courses for finance quantitative analysts
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Top 10 most affordable universities for finance quantitative analysts
The most affordable schools for finance quantitative analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for finance quantitative 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 finance quantitative 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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for finance quantitative analysts
The hardest universities for finance quantitative analysts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for finance quantitative 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 finance quantitative 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for finance quantitative analysts
The easiest schools for finance quantitative analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a finance quantitative 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 finance quantitative analysts.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
7. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
Average finance quantitative analyst salary by education level
| Finance quantitative analyst education level | Finance quantitative analyst salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $92,227 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $79,509 |
| Doctorate Degree | $108,675 |
Finance quantitative analyst education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025