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Cardiologist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a cardiologist. Cardiologists usually study medicine, medical assisting services, or nursing. 30% of cardiologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 958 real cardiologist resumes to see exactly what cardiologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for cardiologists are the Howard University and the Howard University.

There are also many online cardiologist courses to help get the education required to be a cardiologist.

There are certain cardiologist certifications that you should consider. These cardiologist certifications include Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology.

What education do you need to become a cardiologist?

What degree do you need to be a cardiologist?

The most common degree for cardiologists is bachelor's degree, with 30% of cardiologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 17% and doctoral degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 30%
  • Doctorate, 17%
  • Associate, 14%
  • Diploma, 10%
  • Other Degrees, 29%

What should I major in to become a cardiologist?

You should major in medicine to become a cardiologist. 24% of cardiologists major in medicine. Other common majors for a cardiologist include medical assisting services and nursing.

Most common colleges for cardiologists

Cardiologists often get their degrees at Howard University, University of Miami, and Wayne State University. Here are the most common colleges for cardiologists in the US based on their resumes.
Cardiologist common collegePercentages
Howard University9.38%
University of Miami7.81%
Wayne State University6.25%
University of Phoenix6.25%
Brown University4.69%

Best majors for cardiologists

RankMajorPercentages
1Medicine24.3%
2Medical Assisting Services14.3%
3Nursing10.5%
4Business8.4%
5Biology7.5%

Best colleges for cardiologists

The best colleges for cardiologists are Northwestern University, Emory University, and Vanderbilt University.

A cardiologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for cardiologists. 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 cardiologists.

1. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

2. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

6. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$14,974

Enrollment

35,656

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

10. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$19,080

Enrollment

19,127

20 best online courses for cardiologists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for cardiologists

The most affordable schools for cardiologists are University of Florida, florida international university, and florida state university.

If the best universities for cardiologists 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 cardiologists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. Louisiana State University at Alexandria

Alexandria, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,668

Cost of attendance

14,488

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for cardiologists

The hardest universities for cardiologists to get into are Northwestern University, Emory University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for cardiologists 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 cardiologists 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

9. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

10. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for cardiologists

The easiest schools for cardiologists to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a cardiologist 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 cardiologists.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

7. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

8. Washington Adventist Hospital

Takoma Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

958

9. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

10. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

Average cardiologist salary by education level

Cardiologist education levelCardiologist salary
Doctorate Degree$312,837

Cardiologist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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