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Chemist assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chemist assistant. Chemist assistants usually study chemistry, biology, or biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology. 72% of chemist assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 236 real chemist assistant resumes to see exactly what chemist assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for chemist assistants are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

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

What education do you need to become a chemist assistant?

What degree do you need to be a chemist assistant?

The most common degree for chemist assistants is bachelor's degree, with 72% of chemist assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 11% and associate degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Associate, 11%
  • High School Diploma, 7%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a chemist assistant?

You should major in chemistry to become a chemist assistant. 34% of chemist assistants major in chemistry. Other common majors for a chemist assistant include biology and biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology.

Most common colleges for chemist assistants

Chemist assistants often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, West Virginia University, and Rochester Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for chemist assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Chemist assistant common collegePercentages
University of California - Davis12.50%
West Virginia University12.50%
Rochester Institute of Technology6.25%
Georgia Institute of Technology6.25%
Brigham Young University6.25%

Best majors for chemist assistants

Best colleges for chemist assistants

The best colleges for chemist assistants are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A chemist 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 chemist 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 chemist assistants.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for chemist assistants

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1. Introduction to Molecular Spectroscopy

coursera

The course introduces the three key spectroscopic methods used by chemists and biochemists to analyse the molecular and electronic structure of atoms and molecules. These are UV/Visible , Infra-red (IR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopies. The content is presented using short focussed and interactive screencast presentations accompanied by formative quizzes to probe understanding of the key concepts presented. Numerous exercises are provided to facilitate mastery of each topic...

2. Transmission electron microscopy for materials science

coursera

Learn about the fundamentals of transmission electron microscopy in materials sciences: you will be able to understand papers where TEM has been used and have the necessary theoretical basis for taking a practical training on the TEM. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in the field of materials science. For an instrument operated by a single user, modern TEM provides an analytical platform with unsurpassed versatility, giving access to...

3. Introduction to Instrumentation

udemy
4.7
(334)

This course was developed and based on my experiences (more than 12 years ) in Instrumentation ...

4. Advanced Process Control & Safety Instrumented Systems SIS

udemy
4.5
(783)

Learn how the main process equipment such as chemical reactors , pumps , compressors & heat exchangers are controlled...

5. Healthier Materials and Sustainable Building

coursera

In the Healthier Materials and Sustainable Building specialization, you learn about healthier building materials, exploring subjects ranging from classification of toxic chemicals to new green innovations. You start by investigating the intersection of building materials and human health. Then, you learn how chemistry and toxicology affect the built world. Next, you examine design specifications from a healthier materials perspective. Finally, you employ cutting-edge practices to execute a...

6. Chemical Biology

coursera

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...

7. 5G O-RAN (Open RAN): Architecture, Procedures And Use Cases

udemy
4.4
(790)

Path to O-RAN, RAN Functional Splits, Split 7.2x for O-RAN, O-RAN Virtualization, Non & Near RT RIC, Slicing in O-RAN...

8. Become a Virtual Assistant

udemy
4.5
(1,223)

Live Free. Work Virtually. Virtual Assistant Training...

9. Materials in Oral Health

coursera

The drive for development of new and novel oral biomaterials has never been more important with many people using oral biomaterials today and seeing their benefits in restoring and improving their oral health for a more enjoyable lifestyle. The unique properties of biomaterials such as titanium (Ti), zirconia (ZrO2) and various polymeric materials have made them materials of choice in oral health: dental implants, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and even regenerative medicine. Oral biomaterials...

10. Angular Material In Depth (Angular 16)

udemy
4.5
(1,842)

In-depth guided tour to the Angular Material component library (in Angular 16)...

11. Must-Have Tools for Virtual Assistants in 2023

udemy
4.8
(1,267)

Step by step tutorials for over 30 tools that will make your Virtual Assistant business and productivity skyrocket!...

12. Virtual Assistant: Find, Hire, Train, and Manage

udemy
4.6
(507)

Work smarter, not harder: Learn how to win the war against Entrepreneurial Overwhelm with virtual assistants...

13. Materialize CSS From Scratch With 5 Projects

udemy
4.6
(1,751)

Master HTML 5 & the Materialize CSS framework by building 5 real world responsive material design based themes...

14. Complete Field Instrumentation Engineering Course

udemy
4.3
(259)

Flow, Level, Temperature and Pressure Instrument - Selection, Sizing, Calculation and Detail Engineering...

15. Know Read Understand Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams P & IDs

udemy
4.5
(1,615)

Learn how Process Control, Safety Instrumented Systems, Interlock & Alarms are represented in engineering P & ID drawings...

16. Google Assistant development with Actions on Google

udemy
4
(513)

Google Assistant development in Node.js with Actions on Google & Dialog Flow & Firebase for Google Home & Android device...

17. ISO 9001:2015-Quality Management System Implementation & Audit

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4.2
(707)

Learn how to Implement and Audit a Quality Management System as per ISO 9001: 2015...

18. ISO 9001:2015 Quality management system auditor

udemy
4.5
(7,832)

Upgrade your career by learning how to implement and audit a quality management system according to ISO 9001...

19. Virtual Assistant Training, a Complete Guide: Work From Home

udemy
4.4
(358)

Rock Star Virtual Assistant Training: Create an online business + become a freelancing virtual professional in any field...

20. Dr. K's Complete First Semester General Chemistry I Course

udemy
4.8
(650)

A Course to Prepare You for College Level General Chemistry...

Top 10 most affordable universities for chemist assistants

The most affordable schools for chemist assistants are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for chemist 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 chemist assistants.

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

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 chemist assistants

The hardest universities for chemist assistants to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for chemist 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 chemist 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chemist assistants

The easiest schools for chemist assistants to get into are D'Youville College, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.

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

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

6. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average chemist assistant salary by education level

Chemist assistants with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $71,325 annually. With a Master's degree, chemist assistants earn a median annual income of $55,842 compared to $45,018 for chemist assistants with an Bachelor's degree.
Chemist assistant education levelChemist assistant salary
Master's Degree$55,842
Bachelor's Degree$45,018
Doctorate Degree$71,325

Chemist assistant 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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