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Associate scientist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an associate scientist. Associate scientists usually study biology, chemistry, or biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology. 73% of associate scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 5,720 real associate scientist resumes to see exactly what associate scientist education sections show.
The most common colleges for associate scientists are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online associate scientist courses to help get the education required to be an associate scientist.
There are certain associate scientist certifications that you should consider. These associate scientist certifications include Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) and Certified Pharmaceutical Industry Professional (CPIP).
What education do you need to become an associate scientist?
What degree do you need to be an associate scientist?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 17%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become an associate scientist?
- Biology, 31%
- Chemistry, 24%
- Microbiology, 5%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for associate scientists
| Associate scientist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 11.82% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 8.42% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.56% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.35% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.35% |
Best majors for associate scientists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 30.8% |
| 2 | Chemistry | 24.4% |
| 3 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 12.6% |
| 4 | Microbiology | 5.5% |
| 5 | Biotechnology | 4.4% |
Best colleges for associate scientists
The best colleges for associate scientists are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
An associate scientist 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 scientists. 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 scientists.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for associate scientists
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1. The Data Scientist’s Toolbox
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2. Der Werkzeugkasten des Data Scientist
In this course you will get an introduction to the main tools and ideas in the data scientist's toolbox. The course gives an overview of the data, questions, and tools that data analysts and data scientists work with. There are two components to this course. The first is a conceptual introduction to the ideas behind turning data into actionable knowledge. The second is a practical introduction to the tools that will be used in the program like version control, markdown, git, GitHub, R, and...
3. R Programming: Advanced Analytics In R For Data Science
Take Your R & R Studio Skills To The Next Level. Data Analytics, Data Science, Statistical Analysis in Business, GGPlot2...
4. R Level 1 - Data Analytics with R
Use R for Data Analytics and Data Mining...
5. Microsoft Azure Data Scientist Associate (DP-100)
This Professional Certificate is intended for data scientists with existing knowledge of Python and machine learning frameworks like Scikit-Learn, PyTorch, and Tensorflow, who want to build and operate machine learning solutions in the cloud. This Professional Certificate teaches learners how to create end-to-end solutions in Microsoft Azure. They will learn how to manage Azure resources for machine learning; run experiments and train models; deploy and operationalize machine learning...
6. Data Analysis with R Programming
This course is the seventh course in the Google Data Analytics Certificate. These courses will equip you with the skills needed to apply to introductory-level data analyst jobs. In this course, you’ll learn about the programming language known as R. You’ll find out how to use RStudio, the environment that allows you to work with R. This course will also cover the software applications and tools that are unique to R, such as R packages. You’ll discover how R lets you clean, organize, analyze,...
7. Regression Analysis / Data Analytics in Regression
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8. Learn Data Science & Machine Learning with R from A-Z
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9. Statistics for Data Analysis Using R
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10. Practical SQL Bootcamp for Data Analysts and Data Scientists
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11. Essential Non Technical Skills of Effective Data Scientists
Boost your Data Science Career by developing these crucial Non Technical Skills & become a Successful Data Scientist...
12. Advance Analytics with Excel - data analysis toolpak/ Solver
Advanced data analysis in excel: Data Analysis tools (toolpak add-in) for statistics / solver for linear optimization...
13. Applied Statistical Modeling for Data Analysis in R
Your Complete Guide to Statistical Data Analysis and Visualization For Practical Applications in R...
14. Decision Tree - Theory, Application and Modeling using R
Analytics/ Supervised Machine Learning/ Data Science: CHAID / CART / Random Forest etc. workout (Python demo at the end)...
15. Complete Time Series Data Analysis Bootcamp In R
Learn How To Work With Time Series/Temporal Data Using Statistical Modelling & Machine Learning Techniques In R...
16. R Programming Hands-on Specialization for Data Science (Lv1)
An in-depth course on R language with real-world Data Science examples to supercharge your R data analysis skills...
17. SQL Server Analysis Services - SSAS, Data Mining & Analytics
Develop SSAS cubes from data warehouse on Multidimensional & Tabular modes with Dimensional & Data Mining Models...
18. Statistics & Mathematics for Data Science & Data Analytics
Learn the statistics & probability for data science and business analysis...
19. R Data Pre-Processing & Data Management - Shape your Data!
Learn how to prepare your data for great analytics in R...
20. Data Science:Data Mining & Natural Language Processing in R
Harness the Power of Machine Learning in R for Data/Text Mining, & Natural Language Processing with Practical Examples...
Top 10 most affordable universities for associate scientists
The most affordable schools for associate scientists 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 scientists 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 scientists.
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. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for associate scientists
The hardest universities for associate scientists to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for associate scientists 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 scientists 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for associate scientists
The easiest schools for associate scientists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, d'youville college, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an associate scientist 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 scientists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average associate scientist salary by education level
| Associate scientist education level | Associate scientist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $74,130 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $72,661 |
| Doctorate Degree | $77,907 |
Associate scientist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025