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Licensed tax consultant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a licensed tax consultant. Licensed tax consultants usually study business, psychology, or criminal justice. 57% of licensed tax consultants hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 289 real licensed tax consultant resumes to see exactly what licensed tax consultant education sections show.

The most common colleges for licensed tax consultants are the University of South Carolina - Columbia and the University of South Carolina - Columbia.

There are also many online licensed tax consultant courses to help get the education required to be a licensed tax consultant.

What education do you need to become a licensed tax consultant?

What degree do you need to be a licensed tax consultant?

The most common degree for licensed tax consultants is bachelor's degree, with 57% of licensed tax consultants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 57%
  • Master's, 17%
  • Associate, 12%
  • Doctorate, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a licensed tax consultant?

You should major in business to become a licensed tax consultant. 27% of licensed tax consultants major in business. Other common majors for a licensed tax consultant include psychology and criminal justice.

Most common colleges for licensed tax consultants

Licensed tax consultants often get their degrees at University of South Carolina - Columbia, University of Phoenix, and University of Washington. Here are the most common colleges for licensed tax consultants in the US based on their resumes.
Licensed tax consultant common collegePercentages
University of South Carolina - Columbia9.80%
University of Phoenix9.80%
University of Washington7.84%
San Jose State University5.88%
Temple University5.88%

Best majors for licensed tax consultants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business27.0%
2Psychology8.7%
3Criminal Justice5.6%
4Liberal Arts5.6%
5Marketing4.8%

Best colleges for licensed tax consultants

The best colleges for licensed tax consultants are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Villanova University.

A licensed tax consultant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for licensed tax consultants. 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 licensed tax consultants.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

3. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

6. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

10. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

20 best online courses for licensed tax consultants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for licensed tax consultants

The most affordable schools for licensed tax consultants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for licensed tax consultants 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 licensed tax consultants.

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. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for licensed tax consultants

The hardest universities for licensed tax consultants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Villanova University.

Some great schools for licensed tax consultants 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 licensed tax consultants 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. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for licensed tax consultants

The easiest schools for licensed tax consultants to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a licensed tax consultant 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 licensed tax consultants.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

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. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

9. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average licensed tax consultant salary by education level

Licensed tax consultants with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $48,604 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, licensed tax consultants earn a median annual income of $44,948 compared to $39,654 for licensed tax consultants with an Associate degree.
Licensed tax consultant education levelLicensed tax consultant salary
Master's Degree$48,604
High School Diploma or Less$36,637
Bachelor's Degree$44,948
Some College/ Associate Degree$39,654

Licensed tax consultant 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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