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Investor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an investor. Investors usually study business, finance, or accounting. 72% of investors hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,066 real investor resumes to see exactly what investor education sections show.
The most common colleges for investors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online investor courses to help get the education required to be an investor.
What education do you need to become an investor?
What degree do you need to be an investor?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an investor?
- Business, 27%
- Finance, 16%
- Accounting, 11%
- Economics, 6%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for investors
| Investor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.31% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.70% |
| New York University | 6.19% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.19% |
| University of Arizona | 6.19% |
Best majors for investors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 27.5% |
| 2 | Finance | 16.2% |
| 3 | Accounting | 11.3% |
| 4 | Economics | 6.3% |
| 5 | Political Science | 5.1% |
Best colleges for investors
The best colleges for investors are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.
An investor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for investors. 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 investors.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for investors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for investors
The most affordable schools for investors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for investors 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 investors.
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. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
10. Texas A&M International University
Laredo, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$7,176
Cost of attendance
13,914
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for investors
The hardest universities for investors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.
Some great schools for investors 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 investors 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Tulane University
New Orleans, LA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,428
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for investors
The easiest schools for investors to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an investor 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 investors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
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. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
8. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
9. Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,080
10. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
Average investor salary by education level
| Investor education level | Investor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $106,674 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $90,229 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025