by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 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.
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.
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.
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.
This of course varies depending on which financial planning career you choose.
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% |
As you might expect, salaries for financial planning graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
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 |
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.
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 |
Image Credit: By Dave Dugdale under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
