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Associate professor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an associate professor. Associate professors usually study nursing, business, or biology. 43% of associate professors hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 8,055 real associate professor resumes to see exactly what associate professor education sections show.
The most common colleges for associate professors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online associate professor courses to help get the education required to be an associate professor.
There are certain associate professor certifications that you should consider. These associate professor certifications include Pediatrics and Certified Nurse Educator (CNE).
What education do you need to become an associate professor?
What degree do you need to be an associate professor?
- Bachelor's, 43%
- Doctorate, 25%
- Master's, 24%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an associate professor?
- Nursing, 16%
- Business, 9%
- Biology, 7%
- Psychology, 7%
- Other Majors, 61%
Most common colleges for associate professors
| Associate professor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 7.17% |
| Ohio State University | 6.89% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.47% |
| University of Iowa | 5.91% |
| Purdue University | 5.77% |
Best majors for associate professors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 16.0% |
| 2 | Business | 8.8% |
| 3 | Biology | 6.6% |
| 4 | Psychology | 6.6% |
| 5 | English | 6.0% |
Best colleges for associate professors
The best colleges for associate professors are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.
An associate professor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for associate professors. 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 associate professors.
1. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for associate professors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for associate professors
The most affordable schools for associate professors are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for associate professors 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 associate professors.
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. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for associate professors
The hardest universities for associate professors to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.
Some great schools for associate professors 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 associate professors 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for associate professors
The easiest schools for associate professors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an associate professor 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 associate professors.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
9. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
10. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
Average associate professor salary by education level
| Associate professor education level | Associate professor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $96,169 |
| Doctorate Degree | $125,481 |
Associate professor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025