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Strategy consultant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a strategy consultant. Strategy consultants usually study business, marketing, or finance. 66% of strategy consultants hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,306 real strategy consultant resumes to see exactly what strategy consultant education sections show.
The most common colleges for strategy consultants are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online strategy consultant courses to help get the education required to be a strategy consultant.
There are certain strategy consultant certifications that you should consider. These strategy consultant certifications include Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become a strategy consultant?
What degree do you need to be a strategy consultant?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 29%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a strategy consultant?
Most common colleges for strategy consultants
| Strategy consultant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 8.98% |
| Northwestern University | 6.47% |
| University of Chicago | 6.26% |
| Cornell University | 5.85% |
| Boston University | 5.85% |
Best majors for strategy consultants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 22.3% |
| 2 | Marketing | 10.5% |
| 3 | Finance | 10.0% |
| 4 | Economics | 7.9% |
| 5 | Political Science | 5.5% |
Best colleges for strategy consultants
The best colleges for strategy consultants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A strategy consultant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for strategy consultants. 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 strategy consultants.
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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
5. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
10. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
20 best online courses for strategy consultants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for strategy consultants
The most affordable schools for strategy consultants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for strategy consultants 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 strategy consultants.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
10. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for strategy consultants
The hardest universities for strategy consultants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for strategy consultants 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 strategy consultants 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for strategy consultants
The easiest schools for strategy consultants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a strategy consultant 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 strategy consultants.
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. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
9. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average strategy consultant salary by education level
| Strategy consultant education level | Strategy consultant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $124,504 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $115,976 |
| Doctorate Degree | $129,513 |
Strategy consultant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025