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Proposal analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a proposal analyst. Proposal analysts usually study business, finance, or english. 77% of proposal analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 635 real proposal analyst resumes to see exactly what proposal analyst education sections show.

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

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

What education do you need to become a proposal analyst?

What degree do you need to be a proposal analyst?

The most common degree for proposal analysts is bachelor's degree, with 77% of proposal analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 77%
  • Master's, 14%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Doctorate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a proposal analyst?

You should major in business to become a proposal analyst. 34% of proposal analysts major in business. Other common majors for a proposal analyst include finance and english.

Most common colleges for proposal analysts

Proposal analysts often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Central Florida, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for proposal analysts in the US based on their resumes.
Proposal analyst common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix12.75%
University of Central Florida6.86%
Arizona State University5.88%
University of North Texas4.90%
Temple University4.90%

Best majors for proposal analysts

RankMajorPercentages
1Business34.4%
2Finance8.4%
3English8.1%
4Accounting7.6%
5Communication5.8%

Best colleges for proposal analysts

The best colleges for proposal analysts are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.

A proposal 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 proposal 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 proposal analysts.

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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

6. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

20 best online courses for proposal analysts

Advertising disclosure

1. Capstone: Creating A Sustainability Proposal

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Congratulations on reaching the Capstone Class of the Become a Sustainable Business Change Agent specialization. The class will help you apply material from the previous three classes. We have developed a case about a hypothetical ski resort that offers lots of opportunities to develop sustainability recommendations. A second option is do develop a proposal for a change in your company or organization. Or you can do both the case and your own proposal. The goal of the class is to have you...

2. Research Proposal: Initiating Research

coursera

Market Research is a growing and important field that is used in many industries around the world. Given all the data that is collected whether by organizations, industries, social media, governments, etc., it’s important that someone can review and sift through all the noise to provide valuable insights. And that’s where you come in as a market researcher. This course will only scratch the surface and provide you a foundational understanding of this field. In this course, you will be able to...

3. How To Write A Business Proposal - Upwork - Proposal Writing

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4.5
(284)

Secrets to Writing Business Proposals to Get Clients, Double/Tripple Your Success Rate and 10x Your Business!...

4. Advanced Upwork Proposals: Tips to Help Get More Responses!

udemy
4.3
(1,020)

Secrets to Write Better Upwork Proposals and Get a Response Even When 20-30 People Already Applied!...

5. Proposal Writing & Management (+APMP Foundation Exam Prep)

udemy
4.5
(991)

Everything you need to win big!...

6. Basic Grant Proposal Writing for Nonprofits

udemy
4.6
(919)

Crafting Winning Proposals that Get Funded, with Effective Outcomes Statements and Proven Communications Methods...

7. Grant Writing: Keys to a Successful Proposal

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4.4
(1,604)

Build your resume or freelance, learn grant writing skills and discover creative ways to fund your project or program...

8. Help Desk Analyst

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4.2
(346)

Boost your career with this course, pass the e-Learning course, and achieve your Help Desk Analyst certificate...

9. Audit - Financial Statement

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4.4
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Master the Art of Auditing Financial Statements: In-Depth Analysis, Techniques, and Real-World Case Studies...

10. Financial Statement Analysis

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4.7
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Learn how to make understanding financial statements your superpower!...

11. The Data Analyst Course: Complete Data Analyst Bootcamp

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4.5
(11,857)

Complete Data Analyst Training: Python, Num Py, Pandas, Data Collection, Preprocessing, Data Types, Data Visualization...

12. Tableau Certified Data Analyst: Top Exam Prep Course

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4.6
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3 Practice Tests Tableau Data Analyst Tableau Certification Tableau BI Data Analysis Data Visualization...

13. The Complete Financial Analyst Training & Investing Course

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4.6
(30,958)

Succeed as a Financial Analyst &Investor by Award Winning MBA Prof who worked @Goldman, in Hedge Funds & Venture Capital...

14. Become a Data Analyst - (Python, Excel, SQL, Power BI )

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4.3
(555)

Get Real World Data Analyst Skills with Hands-on Practice...

15. Financial Modeling for Business Analysts and Consultants

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4.4
(1,523)

Learn Financial Modeling in Excel that will allow you to participate in due diligence, strategy or turn around projects...

16. Financial Statement Auditing Cycles

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4.3
(251)

In this course, we learn how public accountants plan and execute an audit...

17. The Business Intelligence Analyst Course 2023

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4.6
(43,085)

The skills you need to become a BI Analyst - Statistics, Database theory, SQL, Tableau – Everything is included...

18. Production for Management Consultants and Business Analysts

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4.6
(1,684)

Practical guide on how to improve production and operations in a firm and analyze potential savings in Excel...

19. Learn Federal Government Contracting From An Expert

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4
(443)

A comprehensive guide to Register, Search Opportunities, GSA, Certifications, Accounting, Marketing& Bidding to the feds...

20. Practical SQL Bootcamp for Data Analysts and Data Scientists

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4.6
(1,147)

Master One of the Most In-Demand Skills for Data Analysts in 2020!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for proposal analysts

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

If the best universities for proposal 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 proposal 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. 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. 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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for proposal analysts

The hardest universities for proposal analysts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.

Some great schools for proposal 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 proposal 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 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. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for proposal analysts

The easiest schools for proposal analysts to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a proposal 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 proposal analysts.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

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. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average proposal analyst salary by education level

Proposal analysts with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $98,010 annually. With a Master's degree, proposal analysts earn a median annual income of $96,383 compared to $87,786 for proposal analysts with an Bachelor's degree.
Proposal analyst education levelProposal analyst salary
Master's Degree$96,383
Bachelor's Degree$87,786
Doctorate Degree$98,010
Some College/ Associate Degree$76,623

Proposal analyst 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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