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Bioinformatics analyst education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a bioinformatics analyst. Bioinformatics analysts usually study biostatistics, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, or biology. 59% of bioinformatics analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 162 real bioinformatics analyst resumes to see exactly what bioinformatics analyst education sections show.
The most common colleges for bioinformatics analysts are the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Georgia Institute of Technology.
There are also many online bioinformatics analyst courses to help get the education required to be a bioinformatics analyst.
What education do you need to become a bioinformatics analyst?
What degree do you need to be a bioinformatics analyst?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Master's, 29%
- Doctorate, 9%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a bioinformatics analyst?
- Biostatistics, 23%
- Biology, 13%
- Biotechnology, 9%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for bioinformatics analysts
| Bioinformatics analyst common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 10.00% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 7.50% |
| University of New Mexico | 7.50% |
| Northeastern University | 7.50% |
| University of Houston | 5.00% |
Best majors for bioinformatics analysts
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biostatistics | 23.3% |
| 2 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 15.5% |
| 3 | Biology | 12.9% |
| 4 | Biotechnology | 8.6% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 7.8% |
Best colleges for bioinformatics analysts
The best colleges for bioinformatics analysts are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Stanford University.
A bioinformatics analyst with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for bioinformatics analysts. 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 bioinformatics analysts.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for bioinformatics analysts
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Use Python, SQL and Statistics to advance your programming skills and refine your ability to work with messy, complex datasets...
4. Programming for Data Science with R
Prepare for a data science career by learning the fundamental data programming tools: R, SQL, command line, and git...
5. Bioinformatics Capstone: Big Data in Biology
In this course, you will learn how to use the BaseSpace cloud platform developed by Illumina (our industry partner) to apply several standard bioinformatics software approaches to real biological data. In particular, in a series of Application Challenges will see how genome assembly can be used to track the source of a food poisoning outbreak, how RNA-Sequencing can help us analyze gene expression data on the tissue level, and compare the pros and cons of whole genome vs. whole exome sequencing...
6. Plant Bioinformatic Methods
The past 15 years have been exciting ones in plant biology. Hundreds of plant genomes have been sequenced, RNA-seq has enabled transcriptome-wide expression profiling, and a proliferation of "-seq"-based methods has permitted protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions to be determined cheaply and in a high-throughput manner. These data sets in turn allow us to generate hypotheses at the click of a mouse or tap of a finger.The Plant Bioinformatics Specialization on Coursera introduces core...
7. Learn Bioinformatics From Scratch (Theory & Practical)
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8. Genetics and Next Generation Sequencing for Bioinformatics
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Harness the power of data science to solve the world’s most challenging problems by developing your skills in predictive modeling, pattern recognition, data visualization, wrangling massive data sets, forecasting trends, and informing strategy across diverse industries like public policy, robotics, and FinTech...
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12. Full Stack Web Developer
Design and develop modern web applications.Students will also learn how to deploy a Flask-based web application to the cloud using Docker and Kubernetes...
13. Plant Bioinformatics Capstone
The past 15 years have been exciting ones in plant biology. Hundreds of plant genomes have been sequenced, RNA-seq has enabled transcriptome-wide expression profiling, and a proliferation of "-seq"-based methods has permitted protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions to be determined cheaply and in a high-throughput manner. These data sets in turn allow us to generate hypotheses at the click of a mouse or tap of a finger. In Plant Bioinformatics on Coursera.org, we covered 33 plant-specific...
14. Plant Bioinformatics
The past 15 years have been exciting ones in plant biology. Hundreds of plant genomes have been sequenced, RNA-seq has enabled transcriptome-wide expression profiling, and a proliferation of "-seq"-based methods has permitted protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions to be determined cheaply and in a high-throughput manner. These data sets in turn allow us to generate hypotheses at the click of a mouse. For instance, knowing where and when a gene is expressed can help us narrow down the...
15. Bioinformatics with Python
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16. Practical SQL Bootcamp for Data Analysts and Data Scientists
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17. Data Science (Part Time)
Create robust predictive models with statistics and Python programming. Build confidence and credibility to tackle complex machine learning problems on the job. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
18. Python Programming (Part Time)
Gain fluency in Python — the world's fastest-growing major programming language — and start leveraging its versatile capabilities to build web and data science applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
19. Data Structures and Algorithms
Get hands-on practice with over 80 data structures and algorithm exercises and guidance from a dedicated mentor to help prepare you for interviews and on-the-job scenarios...
20. Data Visualization
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Top 10 most affordable universities for bioinformatics analysts
The most affordable schools for bioinformatics analysts are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for bioinformatics analysts 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 bioinformatics analysts.
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for bioinformatics analysts
The hardest universities for bioinformatics analysts to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for bioinformatics analysts 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 bioinformatics analysts 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
9. Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
14%
SAT average
1,531
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for bioinformatics analysts
The easiest schools for bioinformatics analysts to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and our lady of the lake university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a bioinformatics analyst 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 bioinformatics analysts.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
4. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
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. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
Average bioinformatics analyst salary by education level
| Bioinformatics analyst education level | Bioinformatics analyst salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $88,771 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $81,092 |
| Doctorate Degree | $88,090 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $71,833 |
Bioinformatics analyst education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025