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Finance specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a finance specialist. Finance specialists usually study business, accounting, or finance. 62% of finance specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 12,724 real finance specialist resumes to see exactly what finance specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for finance specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online finance specialist courses to help get the education required to be a finance specialist.
There are certain finance specialist certifications that you should consider. These finance specialist certifications include Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
What education do you need to become a finance specialist?
What degree do you need to be a finance specialist?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a finance specialist?
- Business, 34%
- Accounting, 17%
- Finance, 12%
- Psychology, 3%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for finance specialists
| Finance specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 22.26% |
| Strayer University | 7.38% |
| Florida State University | 6.67% |
| Arizona State University | 4.82% |
| George Mason University | 4.72% |
Best majors for finance specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 34.4% |
| 2 | Accounting | 17.1% |
| 3 | Finance | 12.3% |
| 4 | Psychology | 3.5% |
| 5 | Economics | 3.4% |
Best colleges for finance specialists
The best colleges for finance specialists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
A finance specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.
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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
10. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
20 best online courses for finance specialists
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5. Financial Accounting - Subsidiary Ledgers & Special Journals
Mastering Special Journals and Subsidiary Ledgers: A Comprehensive Guide to Streamlined Accounting Practices...
6. Accounting & Financial Statement Analysis: Complete Training
Accounting & Financial Ratio Analysis made easy. Learn important accounting skills that will get your foot in the door!...
7. Principles of Financial Accounting
Learn the complete accounting cycle -recording business transactions to presenting the Balance Sheet & Income Statement...
8. Audit - Financial Statement
Master the Art of Auditing Financial Statements: In-Depth Analysis, Techniques, and Real-World Case Studies...
9. 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...
10. Financial Statement Auditing Cycles
In this course, we learn how public accountants plan and execute an audit...
11. Payroll Accounting: Laws, Calculations, and Journal Entries
Master the complex world of payroll with practical examples, legislation insights, and comprehensive problems...
12. Financial Accounting: A Comprehensive Guide with E-book
Unlock Financial Accounting Mastery: Comprehensive Course for Students, Professionals, and Business Owners...
13. ACCA: FA (F3) Financial Accounting
Let's get to grasps of how to perform the basics of financial accounting...
14. Microsoft Excel for Finance, Accounting & Financial Analysis
Excel tips & tricks for Accounting, Finance and Financial Analysis. Learn from the Bestselling Accounting Instructor...
15. Accounting basics, create financial statements easily
Discover, develop, practice your financial information and explore the world of accounting...
16. Complete Financial Modeling for Project Finance in Excel
Learn Financial Modeling for Project Finance and Infrastructure Valuation ( DCF and IRR )...
17. Financial Statement Analysis
Learn how to make understanding financial statements your superpower!...
18. Advanced Financial Accounting: Acquisitions & Consolidations
Acquisitions, Consolidations, and Reporting. Master complex concepts and applications...
19. Accounting Made Easy: A Quick Guide to Financial Accounting
Accounting is not about Math, it is about concepts. And no one said it has to be hard. Learn the basics in just 2 hours!...
20. Financial Statements Analysis for absolute beginners
Understand Financial Statements and Analyze Financial Statements for Business and Financial Analysis...
Top 10 most affordable universities for finance specialists
The most affordable schools for finance specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for finance specialists 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 specialists.
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
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 specialists
The hardest universities for finance specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for finance specialists 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 specialists 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. 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for finance specialists
The easiest schools for finance specialists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and university of houston - downtown.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a finance specialist 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 specialists.
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. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average finance specialist salary by education level
| Finance specialist education level | Finance specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $79,284 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,994 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $52,150 |
Finance specialist 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