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Portfolio assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a portfolio assistant. Portfolio assistants usually study business, finance, or economics. 79% of portfolio assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 608 real portfolio assistant resumes to see exactly what portfolio assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for portfolio assistants are the Boston University and the Boston University.

There are also many online portfolio assistant courses to help get the education required to be a portfolio assistant.

What education do you need to become a portfolio assistant?

What degree do you need to be a portfolio assistant?

The most common degree for portfolio assistants is bachelor's degree, with 79% of portfolio assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 9% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 79%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Master's, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a portfolio assistant?

You should major in business to become a portfolio assistant. 27% of portfolio assistants major in business. Other common majors for a portfolio assistant include finance and economics.

Most common colleges for portfolio assistants

Portfolio assistants often get their degrees at Boston University, New York University, and Northeastern University. Here are the most common colleges for portfolio assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Portfolio assistant common collegePercentages
Boston University11.00%
New York University10.00%
Northeastern University7.00%
Pace University6.00%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey6.00%

Best majors for portfolio assistants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business27.5%
2Finance21.2%
3Economics9.8%
4Political Science5.2%
5Accounting4.9%

Best colleges for portfolio assistants

The best colleges for portfolio assistants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A portfolio assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for portfolio assistants. 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 portfolio assistants.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for portfolio assistants

Advertising disclosure

1. Financial Reporting

coursera

The Financial Reporting Specialization focuses on the role of financial accounting principles and processes in creating and reporting an organization’s financial statements. Learners who complete this specialization will be able to (1) use financial accounting principles to create and/or process an organization’s financial statements and (2) analyze financial statements to assess an organization’s financial position...

2. Investment and Portfolio Management

coursera

In this four-course Specialization, you’ll learn the essential skills of portfolio management and personal investing.\n\nAll investors – from the largest wealth funds to the smallest individual investors – share common issues in investing: how to meet their liabilities, how to decide where to invest, and how much risk to take on. In this Specialization, you will learn how to think about, discuss, and formulate solutions to these investment questions. You will learn the theory and the real-world...

3. Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management with Python

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4.4
(340)

Financial Analysis Done Right - Rigorously Analyse Investments & Manage Portfolios using Python for Finance / Investing...

4. Financial Statements: Balance Sheet, Income Stmt, Cash Flow

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4.5
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How To Quickly Read & Understand The Big 3 Financial Statements: Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement...

5. Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management - Core Finance

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Financial Analysis Done Right - Rigorously Analyse Investments & Manage Portfolios using Excel® & Google Sheets...

6. Value Investing: The Complete Financial Statement Analysis

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Value Investing Mastery - How to Perform Financial Statement Analysis & Financial Ratio Analysis to Find Great Stocks...

7. Accounting basics, create financial statements easily

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4.5
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Discover, develop, practice your financial information and explore the world of accounting...

8. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS): 2022 edition

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Build reports in MS SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS): Implement report layouts, add interactivity...

9. SQL Server Reporting Services Part 2 (SSRS)

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SQL Server Reporting Services Part 2 (SSRS): Deployment, Security, Report Builder, Mobile Report Publisher...

10. How to Find Your FIRST Virtual Assistant Clients

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Find clients that you love working with, and who love working with you!...

11. Level 1 CFA® Exam Prep Bootcamp (Part 2/2)

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Level 1 CFA® Bootcamp: Financial Reporting, Portfolio Management, Equity Investments, Fixed Income, Derivatives...

12. Financial Accounting-Adjusting Entries & Financial Statement

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Master Adjusting Entries & Financial Statements: A Comprehensive Guide for Accurate Accounting and Reporting...

13. Investment Banking: The Complete Financial Ratio Analysis

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Investment Banking For Investors & Financial Analysts - How to Perform Financial Statement Analysis & Company Valuation...

14. Accounting & Financial Statement Analysis: Complete Training

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4.6
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Accounting & Financial Ratio Analysis made easy. Learn important accounting skills that will get your foot in the door!...

15. Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Essentials

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4.2
(283)

Assurance and confidence through portfolio intelligence...

16. SAP Crystal Reports 2020 (and earlier versions)

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How to create reports quickly and easily. For SAP Crystal Reports 2008, 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2020...

17. Real Estate Investment & Finance

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Learn to use real estate investing tools to make better investing decisions from a Certified Public Account (CPA)...

18. The Real Estate Equity Waterfall Modeling Master Class

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The Complete Guide To Building Dynamic Real Estate Equity Waterfall Models In Microsoft Excel...

19. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)

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Let's get to grips with understanding the IFRS standards...

20. Advanced Crystal Reports 2011 Training Video

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A Comprehensive Crystal Reports Training Course That Takes Your Crystal Reports Skills To The Next Level...

Top 10 most affordable universities for portfolio assistants

The most affordable schools for portfolio assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for portfolio assistants 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 portfolio assistants.

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for portfolio assistants

The hardest universities for portfolio assistants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for portfolio assistants 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 portfolio assistants 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for portfolio assistants

The easiest schools for portfolio assistants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a portfolio assistant 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 portfolio assistants.

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. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

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. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average portfolio assistant salary by education level

Portfolio assistants with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $169,755 annually. With a Master's degree, portfolio assistants earn a median annual income of $156,427 compared to $125,146 for portfolio assistants with an Bachelor's degree.
Portfolio assistant education levelPortfolio assistant salary
Master's Degree$156,427
High School Diploma or Less$87,852
Bachelor's Degree$125,146
Doctorate Degree$169,755
Some College/ Associate Degree$87,834

Portfolio assistant 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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