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Biology research assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a biology research assistant. Biology research assistants usually study biology, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, or chemistry. 78% of biology research assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,747 real biology research assistant resumes to see exactly what biology research assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for biology research assistants are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online biology research assistant courses to help get the education required to be a biology research assistant.
What education do you need to become a biology research assistant?
What degree do you need to be a biology research assistant?
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a biology research assistant?
Most common colleges for biology research assistants
| Biology research assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 9.43% |
| University of California - Davis | 9.43% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 8.18% |
| Boston University | 6.29% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 5.66% |
Best majors for biology research assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 52.6% |
| 2 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 9.0% |
| 3 | Chemistry | 5.3% |
| 4 | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology | 4.1% |
| 5 | Biotechnology | 4.0% |
Best colleges for biology research assistants
The best colleges for biology research assistants are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.
A biology research assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for biology research assistants. 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 biology research assistants.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
20 best online courses for biology research assistants
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1. Experimental Methods in Systems Biology
Learn about the technologies underlying experimentation used in systems biology, with particular focus on RNA sequencing, mass spec-based proteomics, flow/mass cytometry and live-cell imaging. A key driver of the systems biology field is the technology allowing us to delve deeper and wider into how cells respond to experimental perturbations. This in turns allows us to build more detailed quantitative models of cellular function, which can give important insight into applications ranging from...
2. Chemical Biology
Chemical biology is a burgeoning field that has rapidly risen to prominence. This surge of interest has been fuelled by chemical biology’s applicability to understanding critical processes in live cells or model organisms in real time. This success has arisen because chemical biology straddles a nexus between chemistry, biology, and physics. Thus, chemical biology can harness rapid chemistry to observe or perturb biological processes, that are in turn reported using physical assays, all in an...
3. General Biology I: Foundations of Biology
An essential course in Biology for students of all ages...
4. Research Methodology: Complete Research Project Blueprint
Research Methodology From A-Z. A Step-by-Step Guide Through Research Design, Data Collection, Analysis, & Interpretation...
5. Systems Biology and Biotechnology
Design systems-level experiments using appropriate cutting edge techniques, collect big data, and analyze and interpret small and big data sets quantitatively.\n\nThe Systems Biology Specialization covers the concepts and methodologies used in systems-level analysis of biomedical systems. Successful participants will learn how to use experimental, computational and mathematical methods in systems biology and how to design practical systems-level frameworks to address questions in a variety of...
6. Systems Biology and Biotechnology Capstone
NOTE: In order to take this course you should have taken and complete the following courses in the Signature Track: Introduction to Systems Biology, Network Analysis in Systems Biology, Dynamical Modeling Methods for Systems Biology, Experimental Methods in SB and Integrated Analysis In Systems Biology...
7. Research Methodology
Academic Research Business Research Thesis & Dissertation Report Research Paper / Journal...
8. Complete Data Wrangling & Data Visualisation With Python
Learn to Preprocess, Wrangle and Visualise Data For Practical Data Science Applications in Python...
9. Biology Everywhere Foundations
In this course, we will explore the nature of science and biology. We will discuss what the “biology everywhere” philosophy means and the history of the “biology everywhere” project. We will also discuss what science (and biology) are as a discipline of inquiry and how chemistry is foundational to understanding biology...
10. 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...
11. The Complete MARINE BIOLOGY 101 Course, Beginner to Advanced
The NEW course with everything you need on Marine Biology - 2021 Online CERTIFICATE - Taught by a real marine biologist!...
12. Qualitative Data Analysis using MAXQDA: Scratch to Advanced
Master Qualitative Research Method, Content Analysis, Grounded Theory, Thematic Analysis and more with MAXQDA Analytics...
13. Cancer Biology
The healthcare system is a rapidly evolving field with new research leading to advancements in medicine. Developed at Johns Hopkins University and led by top-ranked Hopkins faculty and cancer experts, this specialization on Cancer Biology focuses on the basics of cancer biology, how cancer metastasis occurs, and specifically, screening guidelines for prostate cancer, the most common cancer in American men.\n\nThis specialization starts with an Introduction to the Biology of Cancer, introduces...
14. Market Research
The Market Research Specialisation focuses on the essentials of research and the research process. This Specialisation will teach you how to use qualitative and quantitative research methods, how to develop and manage a questionnaire development strategy, how to develop measurements, how to collect data and how to analyze and present them.\n\nOnce you have completed this Specialisation, you will have a good understanding of market research including:\n\nEssentials of market research Components...
15. Cancer Biology 101
Risk factors, how cancer grows, and how to treat it...
16. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales
How to Process Survey Data and Analyze Likert Scales In SPSS...
17. How to Visualize Research Data in Tableau
Publishing research often requires the preparation of visual elements like charts, tables, and graphs to better explain the text in a research report. Creating these elements can be done easily and effectively in Tableau. Using Tableau, large and small data sets can be visualized with precision, creativity, interactivity, and options in Tableau. After taking this course learners will know how to create a table, a geovisualization, and a pie chart. Three of the most common research...
18. Data Science for Health Research
In Data Science for Health Research, learn to organize and visualize health data using statistical analysis in programs like R. Explore how to translate data, interpret statistical models, and predict outcomes to help make data-informed decisions within the public health field...
19. Introductory Biology
Life around us is simply amazing. I'll show you why...
20. Fundamentals of Data Analysis for Big Data
This course prepares participants to begin running data analysis on databases...
Top 10 most affordable universities for biology research assistants
The most affordable schools for biology research assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for biology research assistants 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 biology research assistants.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for biology research assistants
The hardest universities for biology research assistants to get into are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for biology research assistants 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 biology research assistants 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for biology research assistants
The easiest schools for biology research assistants to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a biology research assistant 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 biology research assistants.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. American International College
Springfield, MA • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
1,010
8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
Average biology research assistant salary by education level
| Biology research assistant education level | Biology research assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,123 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $49,195 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,436 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,947 |
Biology research assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025