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Senior research analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior research analyst. Senior research analysts usually study business, economics, or finance. 68% of senior research analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,101 real senior research analyst resumes to see exactly what senior research analyst education sections show.

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

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

There are certain senior research analyst certifications that you should consider. These senior research analyst certifications include Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP).

What education do you need to become a senior research analyst?

What degree do you need to be a senior research analyst?

The most common degree for senior research analysts is bachelor's degree, with 68% of senior research analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 24% and master's degree degree at 3%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Master's, 24%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Associate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a senior research analyst?

You should major in business to become a senior research analyst. 18% of senior research analysts major in business. Other common majors for a senior research analyst include economics and finance.

Most common colleges for senior research analysts

Senior research analysts often get their degrees at New York University, University of Maryland - College Park, and Syracuse University. Here are the most common colleges for senior research analysts in the US based on their resumes.
Senior research analyst common collegePercentages
New York University10.87%
University of Maryland - College Park9.24%
Syracuse University6.25%
University of California, Santa Barbara5.43%
University of California - Davis5.16%

Best majors for senior research analysts

RankMajorPercentages
1Business17.6%
2Economics10.7%
3Finance10.5%
4Psychology9.0%
5Marketing7.9%

Best colleges for senior research analysts

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

A senior research 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 research 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 research analysts.

1. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. Texas State University

San Marcos, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,280

Enrollment

34,187

20 best online courses for senior research analysts

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1. Data Analysis Immersive (Full-time)

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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. Marketing Analytics

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Gain an in-depth understanding of Google Analytics and marketing analytics. Analyze data and build models with Excel, Data Studio, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...

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. Market Research

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7. Practical SQL Bootcamp for Data Analysts and Data Scientists

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13. Statistics / Data Analysis in SPSS: Inferential Statistics

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Understand and conduct market research on a global scale...

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18. Research Methodology: Complete Research Project Blueprint

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19. Data Visualization

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20. Experimental Design & Recommendations

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior research analysts

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

If the best universities for senior research 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 research 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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior research analysts

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

Some great schools for senior research 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 research 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. 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

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

The easiest schools for senior research analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and holy names university.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

9. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average senior research analyst salary by education level

Senior research analysts with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $84,576 annually. With a Master's degree, senior research analysts earn a median annual income of $83,996 compared to $76,234 for senior research analysts with an Bachelor's degree.
Senior research analyst education levelSenior research analyst salary
Master's Degree$83,996
Bachelor's Degree$76,234
Doctorate Degree$84,576

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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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