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Cardiothoracic surgeon education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. Cardiothoracic surgeons usually study nursing, biology, or business. 39% of cardiothoracic surgeons hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 43 real cardiothoracic surgeon resumes to see exactly what cardiothoracic surgeon education sections show.
The most common colleges for cardiothoracic surgeons are the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
There are also many online cardiothoracic surgeon courses to help get the education required to be a cardiothoracic surgeon.
What education do you need to become a cardiothoracic surgeon?
What degree do you need to be a cardiothoracic surgeon?
- Bachelor's, 39%
- Master's, 13%
- Doctorate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 26%
What should I major in to become a cardiothoracic surgeon?
Most common colleges for cardiothoracic surgeons
| Cardiothoracic surgeon common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | 9.09% |
| University of Mississippi | 9.09% |
| Florida State University | 9.09% |
| University of Miami | 9.09% |
| University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus | 9.09% |
Best majors for cardiothoracic surgeons
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 20.8% |
| 2 | Biology | 16.7% |
| 3 | Business | 12.5% |
| 4 | Medicine | 12.5% |
| 5 | Health Care Administration | 12.5% |
Best colleges for cardiothoracic surgeons
The best colleges for cardiothoracic surgeons are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
A cardiothoracic 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 cardiothoracic 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 cardiothoracic surgeons.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
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. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for cardiothoracic surgeons
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Top 10 most affordable universities for cardiothoracic surgeons
The most affordable schools for cardiothoracic surgeons are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for cardiothoracic 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 cardiothoracic surgeons.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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 cardiothoracic surgeons
The hardest universities for cardiothoracic surgeons to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for cardiothoracic 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 cardiothoracic 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for cardiothoracic surgeons
The easiest schools for cardiothoracic surgeons to get into are Barry University, d'youville college, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a cardiothoracic 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 cardiothoracic 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. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
10. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
Average cardiothoracic surgeon salary by education level
| Cardiothoracic surgeon education level | Cardiothoracic surgeon salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $425,709 |
Cardiothoracic surgeon education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025