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Senior analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior analyst. Senior analysts usually study business, finance, or accounting. 68% of senior analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 26,235 real senior analyst resumes to see exactly what senior analyst education sections show.

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

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

There are certain senior analyst certifications that you should consider. These senior analyst certifications include Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Project Management Professional (PMP).

What education do you need to become a senior analyst?

What degree do you need to be a senior analyst?

The most common degree for senior analysts is bachelor's degree, with 68% of senior 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 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Associate, 8%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a senior analyst?

You should major in business to become a senior analyst. 27% of senior analysts major in business. Other common majors for a senior analyst include finance and accounting.

Most common colleges for senior analysts

Senior analysts often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Maryland - College Park, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for senior analysts in the US based on their resumes.
Senior analyst common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix13.77%
University of Maryland - College Park7.99%
Pennsylvania State University6.29%
New York University6.15%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey5.33%

Best majors for senior analysts

RankMajorPercentages
1Business26.8%
2Finance12.3%
3Accounting9.5%
4Computer Science7.5%
5Economics6.0%

Best colleges for senior analysts

The best colleges for senior analysts are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A senior 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 senior 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 senior analysts.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

7. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,909

Enrollment

6,348

20 best online courses for senior analysts

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Use Python, SQL and Statistics to advance your programming skills and refine your ability to work with messy, complex datasets...

4. Data Structures and Algorithms

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Get hands-on practice with over 80 data structures and algorithm exercises and guidance from a dedicated mentor to help prepare you for interviews and on-the-job scenarios...

5. IBM Data Analyst Capstone Project

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By completing this final capstone project you will apply various Data Analytics skills and techniques that you have learned as part of the previous courses in the IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate. You will assume the role of an Associate Data Analyst who has recently joined the organization and be presented with a business challenge that requires data analysis to be performed on real-world datasets. You will perform the various tasks that professional data analysts do as part of their...

6. Practical SQL Bootcamp for Data Analysts and Data Scientists

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Learn two of the most in-demand skills in the entire field of data science! By the end of this course, you’ll know how to generate personalized recommendations based on user data, as well as run statistically valid tests that produce clean, interpretable results...

15. SQL - MySQL for Data Analytics and Business Intelligence

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17. SQL - Master Class For Data Analysis

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Writing SQL Server queries for Data Analysis...

18. PL/SQL by Example - Beginner to Advanced PL/SQL

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Using PL/SQL learn how to combine the efficiency of SQL & Procedural Language(PL) to build a powerful PL/SQL Application...

19. Data Analyst - ETL/SSIS/SQL/PowerBI

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Learn to extract ,transform, and analyse data...

20. MySQL - Statistics for Data Science & Business Analytics

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior analysts

The most affordable schools for senior analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for senior 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 senior 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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

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 senior analysts

The hardest universities for senior analysts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for senior 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 senior 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

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

The easiest schools for senior analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior 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 senior 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. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average senior analyst salary by education level

Senior analysts with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $95,750 annually. With a Master's degree, senior analysts earn a median annual income of $91,900 compared to $85,359 for senior analysts with an Bachelor's degree.
Senior analyst education levelSenior analyst salary
Master's Degree$91,900
Bachelor's Degree$85,359
Doctorate Degree$95,750

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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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