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Principal consultant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a principal consultant. Principal consultants usually study business, computer science, or electrical engineering. 68% of principal consultants hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 13,826 real principal consultant resumes to see exactly what principal consultant education sections show.
The most common colleges for principal consultants are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online principal consultant courses to help get the education required to be a principal consultant.
There are certain principal consultant certifications that you should consider. These principal consultant certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL).
What education do you need to become a principal consultant?
What degree do you need to be a principal consultant?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a principal consultant?
- Business, 22%
- Computer Science, 15%
- Accounting, 6%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for principal consultants
| Principal consultant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 9.72% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 8.72% |
| New York University | 7.04% |
| George Washington University, The | 5.43% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.20% |
Best majors for principal consultants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 22.2% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 14.9% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 7.2% |
| 4 | Accounting | 5.5% |
| 5 | Finance | 5.5% |
Best colleges for principal consultants
The best colleges for principal consultants are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
A principal 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 principal 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 principal consultants.
1. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
4. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for principal consultants
Advertising disclosure
1. Consulting Business: How to Start a Consulting Business
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2. Retail for Business Analysts and Management Consultants
A practical guide with cases studies how to analyze and improve a retail business during management consulting projects...
3. FMCG for Management Consultants and Business Analysts
A practical guide on how to analyze in Excel and improve consumer goods business during consulting projects...
4. Business Analysis Fundamentals for Management Consultants
A practical guide for Business Analysts and Management Consultants with exercises in Excel...
5. Strategy for Management Consultants & Business Analysts
Top advices from consulting practice with examples and case studies...
6. Consulting Business Masterclass: Start A Consulting Business
The Complete A-Z Consulting Course for Everyone Who Wants to Become Location-Independent...
7. Performance Improvement Projects for Management Consultants
A practical guide on how to conduct consulting projects on the level of Mc Kinsey, Bain, BCG, Pw C...
8. Business Process Mapping
The complete guide to map any business process...
9. Supply Chain for Management Consultants & Business Analysts
A practical guide how to improve supply chain in a firm and analyze potential savings in Excel during consulting project...
10. Leadership, Business Process Improvement, & Process Mapping!
Learn the leadership, communication, and process mapping skills to accelerate your career!...
11. The Complete Business Process Management (BPM) Master Class
12000+ enrollments Learn the Business Process Management methods used by the world's most successful organizations...
12. Lean BPM - Lean Business Process Management Change Skills
Lean BPM - learn how to use lean business management techniques to reduce waste and improve your business efficiency...
13. Operations Management A-Z: Business Processes and Systems
Operations Management: Supply Chain & Business Processes in Industry for Manufacturing and Services Organizations...
14. Start and Run a successful consulting business
The ultimate guide how to build and run a consulting firm...
15. Introduction to Business Process Modeling
Learn how to analyze, model, and improve your organization's business processes...
16. Production for Management Consultants and Business Analysts
Practical guide on how to improve production and operations in a firm and analyze potential savings in Excel...
17. Data Warehouse Development Process
Specific aspects of Data Warehouse Development Process...
18. Practical Project Management for Management Consultants
How to manage successfully a consulting project - a practical guide for Project Managers...
19. Business Analytics Complete Course
Learn Business Analytics with complete Hands on Exercises...
20. Essential Excel for Business Analysts and Consultants
Master the formulas and tricks that will save you time and make you as efficient as consultants in Mc Kinsey, BCG, Bain...
Top 10 most affordable universities for principal consultants
The most affordable schools for principal consultants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for principal 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 principal 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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. Dickinson State University
Dickinson, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$6,768
Cost of attendance
15,506
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. Brigham Young University - Hawaii
Laie, HI • Private
In-state tuition
$5,560
Cost of attendance
18,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for principal consultants
The hardest universities for principal consultants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
Some great schools for principal 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 principal 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for principal consultants
The easiest schools for principal consultants to get into are D'Youville College, holy names university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a principal 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 principal consultants.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
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. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average principal consultant salary by education level
| Principal consultant education level | Principal consultant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $132,761 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $122,382 |
| Doctorate Degree | $134,713 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $108,705 |
Principal consultant education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025