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2023 Financial Planning & Services Degree Guide

A Recent Jump in Financial Planning & Services Degrees

#430 Most Popular Major
4.1k Degrees Awarded
13.3% Increase in Graduates

In 2020-2021, financial planning and services was the 430th most popular major nationwide with 4,087 degrees awarded. This represents a 13.3% increase in financial planning degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 3,544.

Our 2023 Best Financial Planning & Services Schools ranking analyzes 54 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for financial planning and services students. Explore this or one of our many other custom financial planning rankings further below.

2023 Best Colleges for Financial Planning & Services
2023 Overall Best Financial Planning & Services Colleges >

Best Financial Planning & Services Schools by Degree

Associate Degrees in Financial Planning & Services
Bachelor's Degrees in Financial Planning & Services
Master's Degrees in Financial Planning & Services
Doctorate Degrees in Financial Planning & Services

What Are The Requirements For a Degree in Financial Planning & Services

A major in financial planning prepares you for careers in which talking to others to convey information effectively is crucial. Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times and using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems are all required skills for careers related to this major.

Prior Education for a Financial Planning Program

A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most financial planning degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. In addition to these basic financial planning and services program qualifications, to serve in some financial planning careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.

Types of Financial Planning & Services Degrees

There are many different financial planning degree levels. You can spend many years getting as high as a in financial planning and services to something that takes less time like a . Different financial planning and services degrees vary in how long they take.

Degree Credit Requirements Typical Program Length
Associate Degree 60-70 credits 2 years
Bachelor’s Degree 120 credits 4 years
Master’s Degree 50-70 credits 1-3 years
Doctorate Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation At least 4 years

A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to financial planning, with approximately 38.8% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to financial planning tend obtained the following education levels.

Level of Education Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree 37.3%
Doctoral Degree 18.3%
High School Diploma 14.8%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate 6.7%
Master’s Degree 6.6%

Most workers in financial planning have at least a bachelor's degree. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in financial planning and services careers have.

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This of course varies depending on which financial planning career you choose.

Financial Planning Careers

Average Number of Jobs
93.4k Avg. Related Jobs Salary
11% Growth Job Outlook 2016-26

Solid Growth Projected for Financial Planning Careers

Want a job when you graduate with your financial planning degree? Financial Planning & Services careers are expected to grow 11.1% between 2016 and 2026.

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to financial planning and services.

Occupation Name Projected Jobs Expected Growth
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents 398,900 6.2%
Personal Financial Advisors 312,300 14.9%
Business Professors 123,000 18.0%
Credit Counselors 43,600 13.8%

How Much Money Do People With a Financial Planning Degree Make?

As you might expect, salaries for financial planning graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

High Paying Careers for Financial Planning Majors

Salaries for financial planning and services graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers financial planning grads often go into.

Occupation Name Median Average Salary
Personal Financial Advisors $121,770
Business Professors $103,330
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents $98,770
Credit Counselors $49,820

Getting Your Financial Planning & Services Degree

With over 149 different financial planning degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased financial planning school rankings to help you with this.

Study Areas in Financial Planning & Services

One of 8 majors within the Finance & Financial Management area of study, Financial Planning & Services has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Finance 51,779
Banking and Financial Support Services 1,022
Other Finance and Financial Management Services 362
Investments and Securities 346
International Finance 123

View All Financial Planning Related Majors >

References

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