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Tax investigator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a tax investigator. Tax investigators usually study accounting, business, or marketing. 52% of tax investigators hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 42 real tax investigator resumes to see exactly what tax investigator education sections show.

The most common colleges for tax investigators are the University of Central Arkansas and the University of Central Arkansas.

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

What education do you need to become a tax investigator?

What degree do you need to be a tax investigator?

The most common degree for tax investigators is bachelor's degree, with 52% of tax investigators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 30% and associate degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 52%
  • Associate, 30%
  • Master's, 11%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a tax investigator?

You should major in accounting to become a tax investigator. 18% of tax investigators major in accounting. Other common majors for a tax investigator include business and marketing.

Most common colleges for tax investigators

Tax investigators often get their degrees at University of Central Arkansas, Temple University, and University of Dayton. Here are the most common colleges for tax investigators in the US based on their resumes.
Tax investigator common collegePercentages
University of Central Arkansas9.09%
Temple University9.09%
University of Dayton4.55%
Atlanta Metropolitan State College4.55%
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York4.55%

Best majors for tax investigators

RankMajorPercentages
1Accounting17.6%
2Business11.8%
3Marketing11.8%
4Criminal Justice8.8%
5Public Administration5.9%

Best colleges for tax investigators

The best colleges for tax investigators are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and University of Southern California.

A tax investigator 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 investigators. 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 investigators.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

3. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for tax investigators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for tax investigators

The most affordable schools for tax investigators are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and florida international university.

If the best universities for tax investigators 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 investigators.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

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 tax investigators

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

Some great schools for tax investigators 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 investigators 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

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

The easiest schools for tax investigators to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, gwynedd mercy university, and nyack college.

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

1. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

Average tax investigator salary by education level

According to our data, tax investigators with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $46,789 annually. Tax investigators with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $41,914.
Tax investigator education levelTax investigator salary
Master's Degree$46,789
High School Diploma or Less$31,579
Bachelor's Degree$41,914
Some College/ Associate Degree$30,117

Tax investigator education FAQs

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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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