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Investment fund manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an investment fund manager. Investment fund managers usually study finance, business, or accounting. 71% of investment fund managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 165 real investment fund manager resumes to see exactly what investment fund manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for investment fund managers are the Pace University and the Pace University.
There are also many online investment fund manager courses to help get the education required to be an investment fund manager.
What education do you need to become an investment fund manager?
What degree do you need to be an investment fund manager?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become an investment fund manager?
- Finance, 27%
- Business, 25%
- Accounting, 13%
- Economics, 9%
- Other Majors, 26%
Most common colleges for investment fund managers
| Investment fund manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pace University | 10.26% |
| Drexel University | 7.69% |
| Boston College | 7.69% |
| University of Southern California | 7.69% |
| Boston University | 7.69% |
Best majors for investment fund managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | 27.4% |
| 2 | Business | 25.0% |
| 3 | Accounting | 12.9% |
| 4 | Economics | 8.9% |
| 5 | Communication | 4.0% |
Best colleges for investment fund managers
The best colleges for investment fund managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
An investment fund manager 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 fund managers. 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 fund managers.
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. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
5. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
20 best online courses for investment fund managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for investment fund managers
The most affordable schools for investment fund managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for investment fund managers 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 fund managers.
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for investment fund managers
The hardest universities for investment fund managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for investment fund managers 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 fund managers 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for investment fund managers
The easiest schools for investment fund managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame college, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an investment fund manager 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 fund managers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
7. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
9. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
10. Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,026
Average investment fund manager salary by education level
| Investment fund manager education level | Investment fund manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $154,247 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $94,257 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $131,514 |
| Doctorate Degree | $166,837 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $100,999 |
Investment fund manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025