Aquarist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an aquarist. Aquarists usually study biology, ecology, population biology, and epidemiology, or marine sciences. 84% of aquarists hold a bachelor's degree, and 7% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 603 real aquarist resumes to see exactly what aquarist education sections show.

The most common colleges for aquarists are the Roger Williams University and the Roger Williams University.

There are also many online aquarist courses to help get the education required to be an aquarist.

What education do you need to become an aquarist?

What degree do you need to be an aquarist?

The most common degree for aquarists is bachelor's degree, with 84% of aquarists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 7% and associate degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 84%

Associate, 7%

Master's, 4%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an aquarist?

You should major in biology to become an aquarist. 34% of aquarists major in biology. Other common majors for an aquarist include ecology, population biology, and epidemiology and marine sciences.

Biology, 34%

Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology, 25%

Marine Sciences, 9%

Environmental Science, 7%

Other Majors, 25%

Most common colleges for aquarists

Aquarists often get their degrees at Roger Williams University, Florida Institute of Technology, and Texas A&M; University. Here are the most common colleges for aquarists in the US based on their resumes.

Aquarist common college	Percentages
Roger Williams University	11.30%
Florida Institute of Technology	6.96%
Texas A&M University	6.09%
Coastal Carolina University	6.09%
Northeastern University	6.09%

Show more common aquarist colleges

Best majors for aquarists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Biology	34.0%
2	Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology	25.0%
3	Marine Sciences	8.8%
4	Environmental Science	7.4%
5	Zoology	6.4%

Show more common aquarist majors

Best colleges for aquarists

The best colleges for aquarists are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.

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

1. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

7. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for aquarists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for aquarists

The most affordable schools for aquarists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for aquarists 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 aquarists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for aquarists

The hardest universities for aquarists to get into are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for aquarists 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 aquarists 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

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

The easiest schools for aquarists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, curry college, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an aquarist 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 aquarists.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

8. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

9. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average aquarist salary by education level

Aquarists with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $35,114 annually. With a Associate degree, aquarists earn a median annual income of $33,360 compared to $31,512 for aquarists with an High School Diploma degree.

Aquarist education level	Aquarist salary
High School Diploma or Less	$31,512
Bachelor's Degree	$35,114
Some College/ Associate Degree	$33,360

Aquarist education FAQs

What is the best college for Aquarists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.

Search for aquarist jobs

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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