Trader education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a trader. Traders usually study finance, business, or economics. 78% of traders hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 7,025 real trader resumes to see exactly what trader education sections show.

The most common colleges for traders are the New York University and the New York University.

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

There are certain trader certifications that you should consider. These trader certifications include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM).

What education do you need to become a trader?

What degree do you need to be a trader?

The most common degree for traders is bachelor's degree, with 78% of traders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 78%

Master's, 12%

Associate, 5%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a trader?

You should major in finance to become a trader. 26% of traders major in finance. Other common majors for a trader include business and economics.

Finance, 26%

Business, 22%

Economics, 15%

Accounting, 5%

Other Majors, 32%

Most common colleges for traders

Traders often get their degrees at New York University, University of Chicago, and University of Illinois at Chicago. Here are the most common colleges for traders in the US based on their resumes.

Trader common college	Percentages
New York University	11.90%
University of Chicago	7.84%
University of Illinois at Chicago	6.24%
DePaul University	6.10%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	5.95%

Show more common trader colleges

Best majors for traders

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Finance	26.3%
2	Business	22.0%
3	Economics	14.7%
4	Accounting	5.4%
5	Political Science	4.6%

Show more common trader majors

Best colleges for traders

The best colleges for traders are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A trader with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for traders. 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 traders.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for traders

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20. Forex Trading: Forex Fundamental & Technical Complete Course

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Top 10 most affordable universities for traders

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

If the best universities for traders 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 traders.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for traders

The hardest universities for traders to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for traders 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 traders 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for traders

The easiest schools for traders to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame college, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a trader 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 traders.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

6. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

9. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

10. Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,026

Average trader salary by education level

Traders with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $111,354 annually. With a Doctorate degree, traders earn a median annual income of $102,920 compared to $90,194 for traders with an Bachelor's degree.

Trader education level	Trader salary
Master's Degree	$111,354
Bachelor's Degree	$90,194
Doctorate Degree	$102,920

Trader education FAQs

What is the best college for Traders?

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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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