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Quantitative analyst education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a quantitative analyst. Quantitative analysts usually study finance, mathematics, or economics. 53% of quantitative analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 36% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,329 real quantitative analyst resumes to see exactly what quantitative analyst education sections show.
The most common colleges for quantitative analysts are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online quantitative analyst courses to help get the education required to be a quantitative analyst.
There are certain quantitative analyst certifications that you should consider. These quantitative analyst certifications include Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Bloomberg Market Concepts - Bloomberg Certification (BMC).
What education do you need to become a quantitative analyst?
What degree do you need to be a quantitative analyst?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Master's, 36%
- Doctorate, 9%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a quantitative analyst?
- Finance, 22%
- Mathematics, 17%
- Economics, 12%
- Statistics, 8%
- Other Majors, 41%
Most common colleges for quantitative analysts
| Quantitative analyst common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 11.16% |
| University of Chicago | 9.38% |
| Teachers College of Columbia University | 8.93% |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 6.25% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 5.36% |
Best majors for quantitative analysts
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | 22.2% |
| 2 | Mathematics | 16.7% |
| 3 | Economics | 12.2% |
| 4 | Statistics | 7.9% |
| 5 | Physics | 5.9% |
Best colleges for quantitative analysts
The best colleges for quantitative analysts are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A quantitative 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 quantitative 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 quantitative analysts.
1. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for quantitative analysts
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Top 10 most affordable universities for quantitative analysts
The most affordable schools for quantitative analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for quantitative 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 quantitative 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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for quantitative analysts
The hardest universities for quantitative analysts to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for quantitative 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 quantitative 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for quantitative analysts
The easiest schools for quantitative analysts to get into are University of Houston - Downtown, kean university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a quantitative 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 quantitative analysts.
1. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
7. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
8. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
Average quantitative analyst salary by education level
| Quantitative analyst education level | Quantitative analyst salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $114,026 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $100,351 |
| Doctorate Degree | $131,332 |
Quantitative analyst education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025