Real time trader education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a real time trader. Real time traders usually study finance, business, or economics. 74% of real time traders hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 326 real real time trader resumes to see exactly what real time trader education sections show.

The most common colleges for real time traders are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.

There are also many online real time trader courses to help get the education required to be a real time trader.

What education do you need to become a real time trader?

What degree do you need to be a real time trader?

The most common degree for real time traders is bachelor's degree, with 74% of real time traders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 74%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 8%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a real time trader?

You should major in finance to become a real time trader. 24% of real time traders major in finance. Other common majors for a real time trader include business and economics.

Finance, 24%

Business, 19%

Economics, 9%

Electrical Engineering, 6%

Other Majors, 42%

Most common colleges for real time traders

Real time traders often get their degrees at University of Houston, Arizona State University, and Texas A&M; University. Here are the most common colleges for real time traders in the US based on their resumes.

Real time trader common college	Percentages
University of Houston	13.56%
Arizona State University	10.17%
Texas A&M University	8.47%
Pennsylvania State University	6.78%
University of Texas at Austin	6.78%

Show more common real time trader colleges

Best majors for real time traders

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Finance	23.8%
2	Business	18.6%
3	Economics	8.7%
4	Electrical Engineering	6.4%
5	Communication	6.4%

Show more common real time trader majors

Best colleges for real time traders

The best colleges for real time traders are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A real time 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 real time 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 real time 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. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Enrollment

2,120

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

20 best online courses for real time traders

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Top 10 most affordable universities for real time traders

The most affordable schools for real time traders are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for real time 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 real time traders.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for real time traders

The hardest universities for real time traders to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for real time 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 real time 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for real time traders

The easiest schools for real time traders to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan 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 real time 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 real time traders.

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. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average real time trader salary by education level

Real time traders with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $139,753 annually. With a Doctorate degree, real time traders earn a median annual income of $128,735 compared to $122,242 for real time traders with an Bachelor's degree.

Real time trader education level	Real time trader salary
Master's Degree	$139,753
High School Diploma or Less	$85,387
Bachelor's Degree	$122,242
Doctorate Degree	$128,735
Some College/ Associate Degree	$88,198

Real time trader education FAQs

What is the best college for Real Time Traders?

Have more questions? See all answers to common sales questions.

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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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