Tax analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a tax analyst. Tax analysts usually study accounting, business, or finance. 70% of tax analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,226 real tax analyst resumes to see exactly what tax analyst education sections show.

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

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

There are certain tax analyst certifications that you should consider. These tax analyst certifications include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

What education do you need to become a tax analyst?

What degree do you need to be a tax analyst?

The most common degree for tax analysts is bachelor's degree, with 70% of tax analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 70%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 11%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a tax analyst?

You should major in accounting to become a tax analyst. 41% of tax analysts major in accounting. Other common majors for a tax analyst include business and finance.

Accounting, 41%

Business, 27%

Finance, 10%

Economics, 3%

Other Majors, 19%

Most common colleges for tax analysts

Tax analysts often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Houston, and DePaul University. Here are the most common colleges for tax analysts in the US based on their resumes.

Tax analyst common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	18.30%
University of Houston	9.52%
DePaul University	6.02%
Pace University	4.51%
University of Massachusetts Boston	4.51%

Show more common tax analyst colleges

Best majors for tax analysts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Accounting	41.5%
2	Business	26.7%
3	Finance	9.7%
4	Economics	3.3%
5	Taxation	2.4%

Show more common tax analyst majors

Best colleges for tax analysts

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

A tax 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 tax 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 tax analysts.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

3. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

9. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Enrollment

14,629

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

20 best online courses for tax analysts

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Top 10 most affordable universities for tax analysts

The most affordable schools for tax analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for tax 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 tax 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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for tax analysts

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

Some great schools for tax 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 tax 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

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

The easiest schools for tax analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a tax 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 tax 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. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

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. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average tax analyst salary by education level

According to our data, tax analysts with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $78,269 annually. Tax analysts with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $71,492.

Tax analyst education level	Tax analyst salary
Master's Degree	$78,269
High School Diploma or Less	$56,631
Bachelor's Degree	$71,492
Some College/ Associate Degree	$54,463

Tax analyst education FAQs

What is the best college for Tax Analysts?

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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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