Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Cancer researcher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a cancer researcher. Cancer researchers usually study biology, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, or chemistry. 63% of cancer researchers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 432 real cancer researcher resumes to see exactly what cancer researcher education sections show.
The most common colleges for cancer researchers are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online cancer researcher courses to help get the education required to be a cancer researcher.
What education do you need to become a cancer researcher?
What degree do you need to be a cancer researcher?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 13%
- Doctorate, 12%
- Associate, 8%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a cancer researcher?
- Biology, 26%
- Chemistry, 8%
- Psychology, 6%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for cancer researchers
| Cancer researcher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 12.50% |
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | 9.38% |
| Ohio State University | 6.25% |
| Howard University | 6.25% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.25% |
Best majors for cancer researchers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 26.2% |
| 2 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 11.3% |
| 3 | Chemistry | 7.7% |
| 4 | Psychology | 5.9% |
| 5 | Nursing | 5.0% |
Best colleges for cancer researchers
The best colleges for cancer researchers are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A cancer researcher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for cancer researchers. 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 cancer researchers.
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. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
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 cancer researchers
Advertising disclosure
1. Understanding Prostate Cancer
Welcome to Understanding Prostate Cancer. My name is Ken Pienta, Professor of Urology and Oncology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. I have been studying prostate cancer and treating patients with prostate cancer for over 25 years. Over 1,000,000 men worldwide and 230,000 men in the United States are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. Three hundred thousand men worldwide and 30,000 men in the US are dying from prostate cancer every year. As people live longer, the incidence of...
2. 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...
3. Cancer Biology 101
Risk factors, how cancer grows, and how to treat it...
4. The Beginners Course for Clinical Research
The Essentials of Clinical Trials - Clinical Research for Beginners...
5. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...
6. Introduction to the Biology of Cancer
Over 500,000 people in the United States and over 8 million people worldwide are dying every year from cancer. As people live longer, the incidence of cancer is rising worldwide and the disease is expected to strike over 20 million people annually by 2030. This open course is designed for people who would like to develop an understanding of cancer and how it is prevented, diagnosed, and treated. The course introduces the molecular biology of cancer (oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes) as well...
7. Research Methodology: Complete Research Project Blueprint
Research Methodology From A-Z. A Step-by-Step Guide Through Research Design, Data Collection, Analysis, & Interpretation...
8. Clinical Research for beginners
The Art of Publishing - Master Pub Med, Study design, Biostatistics, Journal choice, Manuscript writing & Referencing...
9. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative
Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...
10. Computing for Cancer Informatics
One of the key cancer informatics challenges is dealing with and managing the explosion of large data from multiple sources that are often too large to work with on typical personal computers. This course is designed to help researchers and investigators to understand the basics of computing and to familiarize them with various computing options to ultimately help guide their decisions on the topic. This course aims to provide research leaders with awareness and guidance about: Basic computing...
11. Research Methodology
Academic Research Business Research Thesis & Dissertation Report Research Paper / Journal...
12. Market Research: Dekker's Complete Marketing Research Course
Competitor Analysis, Market Research Analysis, Marketing Analytics, Consumer Analytics, Conversion Rate Optimization...
13. Advanced Reproducibility in Cancer Informatics
This course introduces tools that help enhance reproducibility and replicability in the context of cancer informatics. It uses hands-on exercises to demonstrate in practical terms how to get acquainted with these tools but is by no means meant to be a comprehensive dive into these tools. The course introduces tools and their concepts such as git and GitHub, code review, Docker, and GitHub actions. Target Audience The course is intended for students in the biomedical sciences and researchers who...
14. Cervical Cancer Risk Prediction Using Machine Learning
In this hands-on project, we will build and train an XG-Boost classifier to predict whether a person has a risk of having cervical cancer. Cervical cancer kills about 4,000 women in the U.S. and about 300,000 women worldwide. Data has been obtained from 858 patients and include features such as number of pregnancies, smoking habits, Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD), demographics, and historic medical records...
15. Market Research: A-Z Fundamentals with Case Studies
Learn Market Sizing & Forecasting, Survey Design, Customer & Competitor Analysis to become a PRO Market Research Analyst...
16. Global Marketing Research and Analytics
Understand and conduct market research on a global scale...
17. Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics
If you’ve ever skipped over the results section of a medical paper because terms like “confidence interval” or “p-value” go over your head, then you’re in the right place. You may be a clinical practitioner reading research articles to keep up-to-date with developments in your field or a medical student wondering how to approach your own research. Greater confidence in understanding statistical analysis and the results can benefit both working professionals and those undertaking research...
18. Kids with Cancer Still Need School: The Providers Role
This course will help you understand and address the challenges parents and families face regarding schooling after a cancer diagnosis. When a child is diagnosed with cancer, families can be overwhelmed learning about and managing this new and frightening reality. As they adjust to the new normal of ongoing treatment, school may be the farthest thing from their mind. However, as their oncology health care provider, you have a critical role in starting conversations about schooling. Even for...
19. Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods
Learn the basics of conducting qualitative research. Learn to design interviews, conduct observations, and analyze data...
20. Foundations of Health Equity Research
Introduces students to the core principles of health equity research. Covers topics such as defining health equity, engaging community and policy stakeholders, patient-centeredness, cultural competence, and dissemination of research findings. Content will recognize different geographic, cultural, and social contexts where health inequities occur...
Top 10 most affordable universities for cancer researchers
The most affordable schools for cancer researchers are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for cancer researchers 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 cancer researchers.
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. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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 cancer researchers
The hardest universities for cancer researchers to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for cancer researchers 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 cancer researchers 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
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 cancer researchers
The easiest schools for cancer researchers 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 a cancer researcher 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 cancer researchers.
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. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
8. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
9. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
Average cancer researcher salary by education level
| Cancer researcher education level | Cancer researcher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $71,002 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $69,190 |
| Doctorate Degree | $75,706 |
Cancer researcher education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
Search for cancer researcher jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025