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Tax assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a tax assistant. Tax assistants usually study accounting, business, or finance. 65% of tax assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 6,922 real tax assistant resumes to see exactly what tax assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for tax assistants are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online tax assistant courses to help get the education required to be a tax assistant.
There are certain tax assistant certifications that you should consider. These tax assistant certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
What education do you need to become a tax assistant?
What degree do you need to be a tax assistant?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 14%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a tax assistant?
- Accounting, 51%
- Business, 24%
- Finance, 6%
- Economics, 3%
- Other Majors, 16%
Most common colleges for tax assistants
| Tax assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 10.10% |
| San Francisco State University | 7.52% |
| Ohio State University | 7.13% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.53% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.53% |
Best majors for tax assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting | 50.8% |
| 2 | Business | 23.5% |
| 3 | Finance | 6.0% |
| 4 | Economics | 3.1% |
| 5 | Law | 1.9% |
Best colleges for tax assistants
The best colleges for tax assistants are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
A tax assistant 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 assistants. 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 assistants.
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 assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for tax assistants
The most affordable schools for tax assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for tax assistants 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 assistants.
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 assistants
The hardest universities for tax assistants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for tax assistants 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 assistants 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
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 assistants
The easiest schools for tax assistants 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 assistant 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 assistants.
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 assistant salary by education level
| Tax assistant education level | Tax assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $50,463 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,171 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,665 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $38,911 |
Tax assistant education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025