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Cardiac surgeon education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a cardiac surgeon. Cardiac surgeons usually study biology, nursing, or veterinary science. 30% of cardiac surgeons hold a doctoral degree, and 20% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 20 real cardiac surgeon resumes to see exactly what cardiac surgeon education sections show.
The most common colleges for cardiac surgeons are the Missouri State University and the Missouri State University.
There are also many online cardiac surgeon courses to help get the education required to be a cardiac surgeon.
What education do you need to become a cardiac surgeon?
What degree do you need to be a cardiac surgeon?
- Doctorate, 30%
- Bachelor's, 20%
- Associate, 20%
- Other Degrees, 30%
What should I major in to become a cardiac surgeon?
Most common colleges for cardiac surgeons
| Cardiac surgeon common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Missouri State University | 14.29% |
| North Central College | 14.29% |
| University of Central Florida | 14.29% |
| Emory University | 14.29% |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | 14.29% |
Best majors for cardiac surgeons
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 9.1% |
| 2 | Nursing | 9.1% |
| 3 | Veterinary Science | 9.1% |
| 4 | Medical Technician | 9.1% |
| 5 | Theology | 9.1% |
Best colleges for cardiac surgeons
The best colleges for cardiac surgeons are Duke University, Harvard University, and Stanford University.
A cardiac surgeon with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for cardiac surgeons. 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 cardiac surgeons.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
20 best online courses for cardiac surgeons
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Top 10 most affordable universities for cardiac surgeons
The most affordable schools for cardiac surgeons are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for cardiac surgeons 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 cardiac surgeons.
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for cardiac surgeons
The hardest universities for cardiac surgeons to get into are Duke University, Harvard University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for cardiac surgeons 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 cardiac surgeons 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
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. 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for cardiac surgeons
The easiest schools for cardiac surgeons to get into are Barry University, d'youville college, and adventhealth university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a cardiac surgeon 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 cardiac surgeons.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
4. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
10. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
Average cardiac surgeon salary by education level
| Cardiac surgeon education level | Cardiac surgeon salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $397,010 |
Cardiac surgeon education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025