Prime broker education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a prime broker. Prime brokers usually study finance, business, or accounting. 89% of prime brokers hold a bachelor's degree, and 4% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 102 real prime broker resumes to see exactly what prime broker education sections show.

The most common colleges for prime brokers are the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

There are also many online prime broker courses to help get the education required to be a prime broker.

What education do you need to become a prime broker?

What degree do you need to be a prime broker?

The most common degree for prime brokers is bachelor's degree, with 89% of prime brokers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 4% and master's degree degree at 3%.

Bachelor's, 89%

Master's, 4%

High School Diploma, 3%

Associate, 3%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a prime broker?

You should major in finance to become a prime broker. 24% of prime brokers major in finance. Other common majors for a prime broker include business and accounting.

Finance, 24%

Business, 13%

Accounting, 11%

Economics, 8%

Other Majors, 44%

Most common colleges for prime brokers

Prime brokers often get their degrees at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New York University, and North Park University. Here are the most common colleges for prime brokers in the US based on their resumes.

Prime broker common college	Percentages
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	12.12%
New York University	9.09%
North Park University	9.09%
Manhattan College	6.06%
Baruch College of the City University of New York	6.06%

Show more common prime broker colleges

Best majors for prime brokers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Finance	24.2%
2	Business	12.9%
3	Accounting	11.3%
4	Economics	8.1%
5	Political Science	6.5%

Show more common prime broker majors

Best colleges for prime brokers

The best colleges for prime brokers are Northwestern University, University of Rochester, and Vanderbilt University.

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

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Princeton University

Princeton, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$50,340

Enrollment

5,301

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

8. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$58,230

Enrollment

6,600

9. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

20 best online courses for prime brokers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for prime brokers

The most affordable schools for prime brokers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for prime brokers 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 prime brokers.

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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

6. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

7. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Brigham Young University - Hawaii

Laie, HI • Private

In-state tuition

$5,560

Cost of attendance

18,043

10. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for prime brokers

The hardest universities for prime brokers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Rochester, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for prime brokers 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 prime brokers 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,321

7. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

10. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for prime brokers

The easiest schools for prime brokers to get into are Saint Joseph's College of Maine, university of north texas at dallas, and la roche college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a prime broker 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 prime brokers.

1. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

2. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

3. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Albertus Magnus College

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

931

Average prime broker salary by education level

According to our data, prime brokers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $69,198 annually. Prime brokers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $67,702.

Prime broker education level	Prime broker salary
Master's Degree	$67,702
Bachelor's Degree	$59,929
Doctorate Degree	$69,198
Some College/ Associate Degree	$50,181

Prime broker education FAQs

What is the best college for Prime Brokers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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