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Pension consultant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a pension consultant. Pension consultants usually study business, finance, or accounting. 83% of pension consultants hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 303 real pension consultant resumes to see exactly what pension consultant education sections show.

The most common colleges for pension consultants are the University of Connecticut and the University of Connecticut.

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

What education do you need to become a pension consultant?

What degree do you need to be a pension consultant?

The most common degree for pension consultants is bachelor's degree, with 83% of pension consultants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 83%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 6%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 0%

What should I major in to become a pension consultant?

You should major in business to become a pension consultant. 22% of pension consultants major in business. Other common majors for a pension consultant include finance and accounting.

Most common colleges for pension consultants

Pension consultants often get their degrees at University of Connecticut, Boston University, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for pension consultants in the US based on their resumes.
Pension consultant common collegePercentages
University of Connecticut16.36%
Boston University7.27%
University of California - Davis7.27%
University of Pennsylvania5.45%
Framingham State University5.45%

Best majors for pension consultants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business22.1%
2Finance18.9%
3Accounting8.9%
4Mathematics7.4%
5Economics5.8%

Best colleges for pension consultants

The best colleges for pension consultants are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

A pension 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 pension 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 pension consultants.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

9. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

10. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

20 best online courses for pension consultants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for pension consultants

The most affordable schools for pension consultants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - dominguez hills, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for pension 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 pension 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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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 pension consultants

The hardest universities for pension consultants to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for pension 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 pension 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

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. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for pension consultants

The easiest schools for pension consultants 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 a pension 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 pension consultants.

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. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average pension consultant salary by education level

Pension consultants with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $81,164 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, pension consultants earn a median annual income of $80,388 compared to $74,209 for pension consultants with an Associate degree.
Pension consultant education levelPension consultant salary
Master's Degree$81,164
High School Diploma or Less$72,829
Bachelor's Degree$80,388
Some College/ Associate Degree$74,209

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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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