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Operational risk analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an operational risk analyst. Operational risk analysts usually study business, finance, or accounting. 67% of operational risk analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,333 real operational risk analyst resumes to see exactly what operational risk analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for operational risk analysts are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.

There are also many online operational risk analyst courses to help get the education required to be an operational risk analyst.

What education do you need to become an operational risk analyst?

What degree do you need to be an operational risk analyst?

The most common degree for operational risk analysts is bachelor's degree, with 67% of operational risk analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 67%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Associate, 11%
  • High School Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an operational risk analyst?

You should major in business to become an operational risk analyst. 30% of operational risk analysts major in business. Other common majors for an operational risk analyst include finance and accounting.

Most common colleges for operational risk analysts

Operational risk analysts often get their degrees at Ohio State University, Franklin University, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for operational risk analysts in the US based on their resumes.
Operational risk analyst common collegePercentages
Ohio State University20.21%
Franklin University8.81%
University of Houston8.29%
University of Phoenix8.29%
Texas A&M University San Antonio8.29%

Best majors for operational risk analysts

RankMajorPercentages
1Business29.8%
2Finance16.4%
3Accounting9.4%
4Criminal Justice7.0%
5Economics5.6%

Best colleges for operational risk analysts

The best colleges for operational risk analysts are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Pennsylvania.

An operational risk 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 operational risk 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 operational risk analysts.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,880

Enrollment

6,590

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for operational risk analysts

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Top 10 most affordable universities for operational risk analysts

The most affordable schools for operational risk analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for operational risk 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 operational risk 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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for operational risk analysts

The hardest universities for operational risk analysts to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for operational risk 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 operational risk 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

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. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for operational risk analysts

The easiest schools for operational risk analysts to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and la roche college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an operational risk 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 operational risk analysts.

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. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

9. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

10. Dominican College of Blauvelt

Orangeburg, NY • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,038

Average operational risk analyst salary by education level

According to our data, operational risk analysts with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $96,631 annually. Operational risk analysts with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $93,030.
Operational risk analyst education levelOperational risk analyst salary
Master's Degree$93,030
Bachelor's Degree$84,569
Doctorate Degree$96,631
Some College/ Associate Degree$75,320

Operational risk analyst 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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