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Investment executive education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an investment executive. Investment executives usually study business, finance, or economics. 82% of investment executives hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 564 real investment executive resumes to see exactly what investment executive education sections show.

The most common colleges for investment executives are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.

There are also many online investment executive courses to help get the education required to be an investment executive.

What education do you need to become an investment executive?

What degree do you need to be an investment executive?

The most common degree for investment executives is bachelor's degree, with 82% of investment executives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 10% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 82%
  • Master's, 10%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an investment executive?

You should major in business to become an investment executive. 26% of investment executives major in business. Other common majors for an investment executive include finance and economics.

Most common colleges for investment executives

Investment executives often get their degrees at Ohio State University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for investment executives in the US based on their resumes.
Investment executive common collegePercentages
Ohio State University7.50%
University of California, Berkeley7.50%
University of California, Santa Barbara7.50%
Michigan State University6.25%
New York University6.25%

Best majors for investment executives

RankMajorPercentages
1Business25.8%
2Finance18.8%
3Economics9.4%
4Marketing9.1%
5Accounting6.5%

Best colleges for investment executives

The best colleges for investment executives are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

An investment executive with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for investment executives. 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 investment executives.

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. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for investment executives

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Top 10 most affordable universities for investment executives

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

If the best universities for investment executives 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 investment executives.

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

10. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for investment executives

The hardest universities for investment executives to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for investment executives 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 investment executives 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for investment executives

The easiest schools for investment executives to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an investment executive 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 investment executives.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,080

9. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average investment executive salary by education level

According to our data, investment executives with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $152,071 annually. Investment executives with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $152,046.
Investment executive education levelInvestment executive salary
Master's Degree$152,071
Bachelor's Degree$138,010
Doctorate Degree$152,046
Some College/ Associate Degree$103,559

Investment executive 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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