Project finance analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a project finance analyst. Project finance analysts usually study business, finance, or accounting. 74% of project finance analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,056 real project finance analyst resumes to see exactly what project finance analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for project finance analysts are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online project finance analyst courses to help get the education required to be a project finance analyst.

There are certain project finance analyst certifications that you should consider. These project finance analyst certifications include Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

What education do you need to become a project finance analyst?

What degree do you need to be a project finance analyst?

The most common degree for project finance analysts is bachelor's degree, with 74% of project finance analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 74%

Master's, 18%

Associate, 5%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a project finance analyst?

You should major in business to become a project finance analyst. 31% of project finance analysts major in business. Other common majors for a project finance analyst include finance and accounting.

Business, 31%

Finance, 22%

Accounting, 20%

Economics, 7%

Other Majors, 20%

Most common colleges for project finance analysts

Project finance analysts often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Maryland - College Park, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for project finance analysts in the US based on their resumes.

Project finance analyst common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	17.12%
University of Maryland - College Park	7.53%
New York University	6.85%
Strayer University	6.16%
University of Central Florida	4.79%

Show more common project finance analyst colleges

Best majors for project finance analysts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	30.7%
2	Finance	22.0%
3	Accounting	20.3%
4	Economics	6.7%
5	Management	3.5%

Show more common project finance analyst majors

Best colleges for project finance analysts

The best colleges for project finance analysts are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

A project finance 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 project finance 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 project finance analysts.

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. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

20 best online courses for project finance analysts

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Top 10 most affordable universities for project finance analysts

The most affordable schools for project finance analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for project finance 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 project finance 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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for project finance analysts

The hardest universities for project finance analysts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for project finance 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 project finance 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for project finance analysts

The easiest schools for project finance analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and university of houston - downtown.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a project finance 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 project finance 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. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average project finance analyst salary by education level

Project finance analysts with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $96,908 annually. With a Master's degree, project finance analysts earn a median annual income of $85,553 compared to $76,437 for project finance analysts with an Bachelor's degree.

Project finance analyst education level	Project finance analyst salary
Master's Degree	$85,553
Bachelor's Degree	$76,437
Doctorate Degree	$96,908

Project finance analyst education FAQs

What is the best college for Project Finance Analysts?

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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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