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Senior associate education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior associate. Senior associates usually study business, accounting, or law. 65% of senior associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 30,150 real senior associate resumes to see exactly what senior associate education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior associates are the New York University and the New York University.

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

There are certain senior associate certifications that you should consider. These senior associate certifications include Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and Project Management Professional (PMP).

What education do you need to become a senior associate?

What degree do you need to be a senior associate?

The most common degree for senior associates is bachelor's degree, with 65% of senior associates 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, 65%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Doctorate, 8%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a senior associate?

You should major in business to become a senior associate. 20% of senior associates major in business. Other common majors for a senior associate include accounting and law.

Most common colleges for senior associates

Senior associates often get their degrees at New York University, University of Phoenix, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for senior associates in the US based on their resumes.
Senior associate common collegePercentages
New York University8.32%
University of Phoenix6.12%
University of California - Davis6.09%
University of Texas at Austin5.74%
Pennsylvania State University5.54%

Best majors for senior associates

RankMajorPercentages
1Business20.4%
2Accounting18.4%
3Law10.3%
4Finance10.3%
5Economics5.2%

Best colleges for senior associates

The best colleges for senior associates are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

A senior associate 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 associates. 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 associates.

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. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for senior associates

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior associates

The most affordable schools for senior associates are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for senior associates 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 associates.

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior associates

The hardest universities for senior associates to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for senior associates 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 associates 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

10. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

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

The easiest schools for senior associates to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and university of north texas at dallas.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior associate 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 associates.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

Average senior associate salary by education level

Senior associates with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $96,280 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, senior associates earn a median annual income of $88,762 compared to $80,332 for senior associates with an Associate degree.
Senior associate education levelSenior associate salary
Master's Degree$96,280
High School Diploma or Less$74,989
Bachelor's Degree$88,762
Some College/ Associate Degree$80,332

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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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