Income tax advisor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an income tax advisor. Income tax advisors usually study accounting, business, or psychology. 69% of income tax advisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 57 real income tax advisor resumes to see exactly what income tax advisor education sections show.

The most common colleges for income tax advisors are the Washington and Lee University and the Washington and Lee University.

There are also many online income tax advisor courses to help get the education required to be an income tax advisor.

What education do you need to become an income tax advisor?

What degree do you need to be an income tax advisor?

The most common degree for income tax advisors is bachelor's degree, with 69% of income tax advisors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 10% and master's degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 69%

Master's, 10%

Associate, 10%

High School Diploma, 8%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an income tax advisor?

You should major in accounting to become an income tax advisor. 20% of income tax advisors major in accounting. Other common majors for an income tax advisor include business and psychology.

Accounting, 20%

Business, 12%

Psychology, 7%

Economics, 7%

Other Majors, 54%

Most common colleges for income tax advisors

Income tax advisors often get their degrees at Washington and Lee University, Morehead State University, and University of Maryland - Baltimore County. Here are the most common colleges for income tax advisors in the US based on their resumes.

Income tax advisor common college	Percentages
Washington and Lee University	12.00%
Morehead State University	12.00%
University of Maryland - Baltimore County	8.00%
Kansas State University	4.00%
Millikin University	4.00%

Show more common income tax advisor colleges

Best majors for income tax advisors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Accounting	19.5%
2	Business	12.2%
3	Psychology	7.3%
4	Economics	7.3%
5	Political Science	7.3%

Show more common income tax advisor majors

Best colleges for income tax advisors

The best colleges for income tax advisors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

An income tax advisor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for income tax advisors. 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 income tax advisors.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

8. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

20 best online courses for income tax advisors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for income tax advisors

The most affordable schools for income tax advisors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for income tax advisors 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 income tax advisors.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for income tax advisors

The hardest universities for income tax advisors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for income tax advisors 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 income tax advisors 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

10. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for income tax advisors

The easiest schools for income tax advisors to get into are Curry College, notre dame college, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an income tax advisor 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 income tax advisors.

1. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

8. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

9. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average income tax advisor salary by education level

According to our data, income tax advisors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $43,824 annually. Income tax advisors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $40,201.

Income tax advisor education level	Income tax advisor salary
Master's Degree	$43,824
High School Diploma or Less	$32,083
Bachelor's Degree	$40,201
Some College/ Associate Degree	$35,009

Income tax advisor education FAQs

What is the best college for Income Tax Advisors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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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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