Post job

Junior program analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a junior program analyst. Junior program analysts usually study business, psychology, or general studies. 66% of junior program analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 498 real junior program analyst resumes to see exactly what junior program analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for junior program analysts are the Texas A&M; University San Antonio and the Texas A&M; University San Antonio.

There are also many online junior program analyst courses to help get the education required to be a junior program analyst.

What education do you need to become a junior program analyst?

What degree do you need to be a junior program analyst?

The most common degree for junior program analysts is bachelor's degree, with 66% of junior program analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 66%
  • Associate, 14%
  • Master's, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a junior program analyst?

You should major in business to become a junior program analyst. 29% of junior program analysts major in business. Other common majors for a junior program analyst include psychology and general studies.

Most common colleges for junior program analysts

Junior program analysts often get their degrees at Texas A&M; University San Antonio, University of Maryland - College Park, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for junior program analysts in the US based on their resumes.
Junior program analyst common collegePercentages
Texas A&M University San Antonio16.92%
University of Maryland - College Park9.23%
University of Florida6.15%
University of New Hampshire6.15%
Western Washington University6.15%

Best majors for junior program analysts

RankMajorPercentages
1Business29.0%
2Psychology5.9%
3General Studies5.4%
4Management5.4%
5Communication5.4%

Best colleges for junior program analysts

The best colleges for junior program analysts are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A junior program 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 junior program 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 junior program analysts.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

10. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

20 best online courses for junior program analysts

Advertising disclosure

1. Data Analysis Immersive (Full-time)

general_assembly

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...

2. Data Analytics (Part Time)

general_assembly

Harness Excel, SQL, and Tableau to drive powerful analysis and insights. Build confidence and credibility to apply this versatile skill set to countless jobs. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

3. Data Analyst

udacity

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

4. Data Structures and Algorithms

udacity

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...

5. Data Analysis with R Programming

coursera

This course is the seventh course in the Google Data Analytics Certificate. These courses will equip you with the skills needed to apply to introductory-level data analyst jobs. In this course, you’ll learn about the programming language known as R. You’ll find out how to use RStudio, the environment that allows you to work with R. This course will also cover the software applications and tools that are unique to R, such as R packages. You’ll discover how R lets you clean, organize, analyze,...

6. Distributed Programming in SAS® Viya® for Data Analysts

coursera

SAS Viya is a cloud-enabled, in-memory analytics engine that provides quick, accurate and reliable analytical insights. This professional certificate program is designed for experienced SAS programmers who want to leverage the power of SAS Cloud Analytics Services (CAS) to access, manage, and analyze in-memory tables. You will write SAS programs to execute in CAS using standard SAS syntax, including the DATA step, FedSQL, and procedures. You will also use the native CAS programming language...

7. SQL Programming and MySQL

udemy
4.5
(302)

Learn SQL Programming with My SQL Database from scratch. SQL Commands, Functions, Expressions, Joins, Procedures, Views...

8. Chief Financial Officer Leadership Program

udemy
4.4
(849)

An ever expanding program of courses helping financial professionals aspire to the top levels of financial leadership...

9. Intro to Data Analytics

general_assembly

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...

10. Data Visualization

udacity

You will start by building data visualizations and dashboards, considering your audiences to be as effective as possible. Then, you’ll move into drafting presentations using storytelling techniques, visualizations, and animations to provide data-driven recommendations...

11. Intro to Data Analysis

udacity

Start your data science journey right with this hands-on introduction to the discipline of data analysis. In this course you'll learn the 5 key stages of the data analysis process and apply them to real data sets using Python libraries NumPy, pandas, and Matplotlib...

12. IBM Data Analyst

coursera

Prepare for a career in the high-growth field of data analytics. In this program, you’ll learn in-demand skills like Python, Excel, and SQL to get job-ready in as little as 4 months. No prior experience or degree needed.\n\nData analysis is the process of collecting, storing, modeling, and analyzing data that can inform executive decision-making, and the demand for skilled data analysts has never been greater.\n\nThis program will teach you the foundational data skills employers are seeking for...

13. Program Management Course - Program Manager Essentials

udemy
4.4
(1,222)

In this Program Management course you will learn the essentials and more to become an effective Program Manager...

14. Practical SQL Bootcamp for Data Analysts and Data Scientists

udemy
4.6
(1,147)

Master One of the Most In-Demand Skills for Data Analysts in 2020!...

15. Data Visualization

udacity

Discover how data visualization can communicate insights far more effectively than text or tables. In this course, you’ll learn how to build data visualizations programmatically using Python, and how you can use visualization to both discover and convey trends in your data...

16. Experimental Design & Recommendations

udacity

Learn two of the most in-demand skills in the entire field of data science! By the end of this course, you’ll know how to generate personalized recommendations based on user data, as well as run statistically valid tests that produce clean, interpretable results...

17. SQL Programming Basics

udemy
4.6
(9,880)

Learn the Fundamentals of SQL Programming...

18. Program Management Fundamentals: The Essentials

udemy
4.4
(370)

In this course you will learn the essentials of program management. Become your bosses boss start this course today...

19. Program Management Interview Course

udemy
4.5
(899)

Learn how to interview for program manager roles at tech companies...

20. R Programming for Statistics and Data Science

udemy
4.6
(4,763)

R Programming for Data Science & Data Analysis. Applying R for Statistics and Data Visualization with GGplot2 in R...

Top 10 most affordable universities for junior program analysts

The most affordable schools for junior program analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for junior program 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 junior program analysts.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

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 junior program analysts

The hardest universities for junior program analysts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for junior program 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 junior program 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. 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for junior program analysts

The easiest schools for junior program analysts to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a junior program 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 junior program analysts.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average junior program analyst salary by education level

Junior program analysts with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $84,802 annually. With a Master's degree, junior program analysts earn a median annual income of $80,971 compared to $74,510 for junior program analysts with an Bachelor's degree.
Junior program analyst education levelJunior program analyst salary
Master's Degree$80,971
Bachelor's Degree$74,510
Doctorate Degree$84,802

Junior program analyst education FAQs

Search for junior program analyst jobs

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.

Browse business and financial jobs