Credit Analysts
Education & Training
Preparation
To work as a credit analyst, you typically need to:
- have a high school diploma or GED; and
- have a bachelor's degree.
Education after high school
Most credit analysts have a bachelor's degree. Common areas of study are accounting, economics, statistics, finance, or business administration. A master's degree in one of these areas may help advance your career.
Work experience
Working in a bank, credit union, or finance company while in college provides good experience.
On-the-job training
Employers provide new analysts with training in credit report writing, customer relations, and other areas. Training generally lasts between two and six months.
Related Programs (Current training programs available)
Fields of Study (What to study to prepare for this career)
Click on any of the Fields of Study listed below to find out more about preparing for this career.
Level of Education
The table below lists the level of education attained by a subset of workers in this occupation. The workers surveyed were between age 25 and 44.
| Education level attained | Percentage of workers in this occupation* |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 1 |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 13 |
| Some college, no degree | 20 |
| Associate degree | 8 |
| Bachelor's degree | 44 |
| Master's degree | 14 |
| Doctoral (Ph.D.) or professional degree | 1 |
* National data for credit analysts (SOC 13-2041).
Helpful High School Courses
In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum may be different from your state's graduation requirements.
You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.
Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this occupation include:
- Banking and Finance
- Computer Applications
- Consumer Law
- Keyboarding
- Personal Finance
The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.
You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.
Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career.
Source: Minnesota Department of Education.
