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Funding specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a funding specialist. Funding specialists usually study business, finance, or accounting. 61% of funding specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,458 real funding specialist resumes to see exactly what funding specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for funding specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online funding specialist courses to help get the education required to be a funding specialist.
There are certain funding specialist certifications that you should consider. These funding specialist certifications include Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
What education do you need to become a funding specialist?
What degree do you need to be a funding specialist?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Associate, 18%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Master's, 7%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a funding specialist?
- Business, 33%
- Finance, 13%
- Accounting, 10%
- Communication, 4%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for funding specialists
| Funding specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 13.33% |
| The University of Texas at Arlington | 10.00% |
| University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee | 7.14% |
| Arizona State University | 6.19% |
| Ohio State University | 6.19% |
Best majors for funding specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 33.2% |
| 2 | Finance | 12.9% |
| 3 | Accounting | 9.9% |
| 4 | Communication | 4.3% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 4.1% |
Best colleges for funding specialists
The best colleges for funding specialists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
A funding 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 funding 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 funding specialists.
1. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
6. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
20 best online courses for funding specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for funding specialists
The most affordable schools for funding specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for funding 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 funding 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. 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. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
9. Dickinson State University
Dickinson, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$6,768
Cost of attendance
15,506
10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for funding specialists
The hardest universities for funding specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
Some great schools for funding 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 funding 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
9. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
10. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for funding specialists
The easiest schools for funding specialists to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a funding 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 funding specialists.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average funding specialist salary by education level
| Funding specialist education level | Funding specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $52,475 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,668 |
| Doctorate Degree | $53,590 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $39,343 |
Funding 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