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Planning analyst education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a planning analyst. Planning analysts usually study business, finance, or accounting. 73% of planning analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,310 real planning analyst resumes to see exactly what planning analyst education sections show.
The most common colleges for planning analysts are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online planning analyst courses to help get the education required to be a planning analyst.
There are certain planning analyst certifications that you should consider. These planning analyst certifications include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Program Management Professional (PgMP).
What education do you need to become a planning analyst?
What degree do you need to be a planning analyst?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a planning analyst?
- Business, 35%
- Finance, 9%
- Accounting, 8%
- Economics, 6%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for planning analysts
| Planning analyst common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.66% |
| Ohio State University | 8.10% |
| Michigan State University | 6.35% |
| Purdue University | 5.47% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.25% |
Best majors for planning analysts
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 35.3% |
| 2 | Finance | 9.0% |
| 3 | Accounting | 8.2% |
| 4 | Economics | 6.3% |
| 5 | Marketing | 5.7% |
Best colleges for planning analysts
The best colleges for planning analysts are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A planning 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 planning 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 planning 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
7. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$53,909
Enrollment
6,348
20 best online courses for planning analysts
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Top 10 most affordable universities for planning analysts
The most affordable schools for planning analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for planning 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 planning 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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for planning analysts
The hardest universities for planning analysts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for planning 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 planning 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
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 Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for planning analysts
The easiest schools for planning analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a planning 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 planning analysts.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average planning analyst salary by education level
| Planning analyst education level | Planning analyst salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $74,578 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $68,643 |
| Doctorate Degree | $78,098 |
Planning analyst education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025