Human resources analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a human resources analyst. Human resources analysts usually study business, human resources management, or psychology. 69% of human resources analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 8,636 real human resources analyst resumes to see exactly what human resources analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for human resources analysts are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online human resources analyst courses to help get the education required to be a human resources analyst.

There are certain human resources analyst certifications that you should consider. These human resources analyst certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP).

What education do you need to become a human resources analyst?

What degree do you need to be a human resources analyst?

The most common degree for human resources analysts is bachelor's degree, with 69% of human resources analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 69%

Master's, 17%

Associate, 10%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a human resources analyst?

You should major in business to become a human resources analyst. 34% of human resources analysts major in business. Other common majors for a human resources analyst include human resources management and psychology.

Business, 34%

Human Resources Management, 17%

Psychology, 9%

Management, 4%

Other Majors, 36%

Most common colleges for human resources analysts

Human resources analysts often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Houston, and DeVry University. Here are the most common colleges for human resources analysts in the US based on their resumes.

Human resources analyst common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	23.99%
University of Houston	7.01%
DeVry University	6.03%
Strayer University	5.41%
California State University - San Bernardino	4.92%

Show more common human resources analyst colleges

Best majors for human resources analysts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	34.2%
2	Human Resources Management	17.3%
3	Psychology	9.2%
4	Management	4.2%
5	Accounting	3.9%

Show more common human resources analyst majors

Best colleges for human resources analysts

The best colleges for human resources analysts are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

A human resources 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 human resources 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 human resources analysts.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

9. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

10. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

20 best online courses for human resources analysts

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5. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0

4.3

(312)

Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...

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4.5

(2,351)

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4.4

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Introduction to Human Resource Concepts...

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14. The Human Resources Certification Program (HRCI - PHR/SPHR)

4.2

(1,485)

An Exam Preparation Guide to the Human Resource Body of Knowledge...

15. Administrative Human Resources (HR) for Beginners

4.5

(5,746)

This course is an introduction to the role and duties of Human Resources (HR)...

16. HR - Agile HR Fundamentals ( Human Resources )

4.2

(1,085)

Human Resources - Paradigm Shift Agile Movement in Human Resources HR Courses HR Certification...

17. Certification Course in Human Resource Management

4.3

(1,337)

Curriculum commensurate to Top B School's Management Program : with downloadable resources, quiz, assessments & exercise...

18. SAP Human Resources (HR) for Beginners

4.3

(778)

Hatch as a Beginner in SAP HR by Learning the Basics of Human Resources and HCM...

19. HR,HR Analytics, Human Resource Management, Black Friday Ed

4.6

(1,691)

HR Analytics ,HR Courses, human resource management, ,HR certification, HRM, hr payroll, people management, 2022...

20. Human Resources (HR) Training for Entry Level Professionals

4.2

(257)

How To Get Your First Job As An HR Assistant...

Top 10 most affordable universities for human resources analysts

The most affordable schools for human resources analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for human resources 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 human resources 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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

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 human resources analysts

The hardest universities for human resources analysts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for human resources 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 human resources 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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 human resources analysts

The easiest schools for human resources analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a human resources 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 human resources analysts.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

9. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average human resources analyst salary by education level

According to our data, human resources analysts with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $79,626 annually. Human resources analysts with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $75,864.

Human resources analyst education level	Human resources analyst salary
Master's Degree	$75,864
Bachelor's Degree	$69,539
Doctorate Degree	$79,626

Human resources analyst education FAQs

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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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