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Proprietary trader education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a proprietary trader. Proprietary traders usually study finance, business, or economics. 81% of proprietary traders hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 996 real proprietary trader resumes to see exactly what proprietary trader education sections show.
The most common colleges for proprietary traders are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online proprietary trader courses to help get the education required to be a proprietary trader.
What education do you need to become a proprietary trader?
What degree do you need to be a proprietary trader?
- Bachelor's, 81%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 1%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a proprietary trader?
- Finance, 36%
- Business, 17%
- Economics, 17%
- Accounting, 6%
- Other Majors, 24%
Most common colleges for proprietary traders
| Proprietary trader common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.25% |
| Pace University | 7.51% |
| Boston University | 5.78% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 5.78% |
| DePaul University | 5.78% |
Best majors for proprietary traders
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | 35.7% |
| 2 | Business | 17.5% |
| 3 | Economics | 17.1% |
| 4 | Accounting | 5.5% |
| 5 | Political Science | 4.7% |
Best colleges for proprietary traders
The best colleges for proprietary traders are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A proprietary trader with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for proprietary traders. 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 proprietary traders.
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
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 proprietary traders
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Top 10 most affordable universities for proprietary traders
The most affordable schools for proprietary traders are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for proprietary traders 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 proprietary traders.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
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. 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 proprietary traders
The hardest universities for proprietary traders to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for proprietary traders 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 proprietary traders 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for proprietary traders
The easiest schools for proprietary traders to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame college, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a proprietary trader 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 proprietary traders.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
6. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
8. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
9. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
10. Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,026
Average proprietary trader salary by education level
| Proprietary trader education level | Proprietary trader salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $125,505 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $100,037 |
| Doctorate Degree | $115,305 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025