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Information analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an information analyst. Information analysts usually study business, computer science, or computer information systems. 68% of information analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,527 real information analyst resumes to see exactly what information analyst education sections show.

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

There are also many online information analyst courses to help get the education required to be an information analyst.

There are certain information analyst certifications that you should consider. These information analyst certifications include Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA).

What education do you need to become an information analyst?

What degree do you need to be an information analyst?

The most common degree for information analysts is bachelor's degree, with 68% of information analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Associate, 15%
  • Master's, 12%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an information analyst?

You should major in business to become an information analyst. 23% of information analysts major in business. Other common majors for an information analyst include computer science and computer information systems.

Most common colleges for information analysts

Information analysts often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Maryland - College Park, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for information analysts in the US based on their resumes.
Information analyst common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix10.00%
University of Maryland - College Park7.59%
Pennsylvania State University7.24%
DeVry University6.90%
Purdue University6.21%

Best majors for information analysts

Best colleges for information analysts

The best colleges for information analysts are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

An information 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 information 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 information analysts.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

20 best online courses for information analysts

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Learn to problem solve, and effectively communicate, like an analyst. This course teaches you to use industry-standard tools to make ethical, data-driven decisions. Experience hands-on training to master SQL, Excel, Tableau, PowerBI, and Python – tools listed in virtually every data analytics job posting across industries...

3. Data Analyst

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Use Python, SQL and Statistics to advance your programming skills and refine your ability to work with messy, complex datasets...

4. Programming for Data Science with R

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Prepare for a data science career by learning the fundamental data programming tools: R, SQL, command line, and git...

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6. Practical SQL Bootcamp for Data Analysts and Data Scientists

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7. Become a Data Analyst - (Python, Excel, SQL, Power BI )

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Get Real World Data Analyst Skills with Hands-on Practice...

8. Data Science Immersive (Full-time)

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Harness the power of data science to solve the world’s most challenging problems by developing your skills in predictive modeling, pattern recognition, data visualization, wrangling massive data sets, forecasting trends, and informing strategy across diverse industries like public policy, robotics, and FinTech...

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13. Implementing a Data Warehouse with SQL Server 2012

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Implementing a Data Warehouse with SQL Server 2012 (Exam 70-463)...

14. Data Science (Part Time)

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16. Data Structures and Algorithms

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Get hands-on practice with over 80 data structures and algorithm exercises and guidance from a dedicated mentor to help prepare you for interviews and on-the-job scenarios...

17. Data Visualization

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18. SQL Course 2023: SQL for Data Analysis and Data Science.

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19. Data Analyst Skillpath: Zero to Hero in Excel, SQL & Python

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Begin data analytics by learning Excel, SQL, Python, Analytics & ML concepts from scratch. Must-know for a data analyst...

20. Intro to Data Analytics

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Discover if data is a career fit for you Regardless of your industry or role, fluency in the language of data analytics will allow you to contribute to data driven decision making. In this free, two-hour livestream, you’ll learn to understand, analyze, and interpret data so you too can join the data conversation. We’ll cover how to ask the right questions of your data and basic analytic functionality. Then you’ll apply your new found data analytic skills to a real-world dataset, allowing you...

Top 10 most affordable universities for information analysts

The most affordable schools for information analysts are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for information 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 information analysts.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for information analysts

The hardest universities for information analysts to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for information 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 information 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for information analysts

The easiest schools for information 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 an information 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 information 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. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average information analyst salary by education level

Information analysts with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $85,667 annually. With a Doctorate degree, information analysts earn a median annual income of $84,957 compared to $77,690 for information analysts with an Bachelor's degree.
Information analyst education levelInformation analyst salary
Master's Degree$85,667
Bachelor's Degree$77,690
Doctorate Degree$84,957
Some College/ Associate Degree$68,152

Information analyst education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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