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Chief resident education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chief resident. Chief residents usually study medicine, biology, or osteopathic medicine. 55% of chief residents hold a doctoral degree, and 27% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 791 real chief resident resumes to see exactly what chief resident education sections show.
The most common colleges for chief residents are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online chief resident courses to help get the education required to be a chief resident.
There are certain chief resident certifications that you should consider. These chief resident certifications include Family Medicine and Certification in General Surgery.
What education do you need to become a chief resident?
What degree do you need to be a chief resident?
- Doctorate, 55%
- Bachelor's, 27%
- Master's, 7%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become a chief resident?
Most common colleges for chief residents
| Chief resident common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 12.42% |
| New York College of Podiatric Medicine | 12.42% |
| Temple University | 7.84% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.54% |
| Howard University | 6.54% |
Best majors for chief residents
Best colleges for chief residents
The best colleges for chief residents are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
A chief resident with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chief residents. 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 chief residents.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
20 best online courses for chief residents
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Top 10 most affordable universities for chief residents
The most affordable schools for chief residents are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for chief residents 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 chief residents.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief residents
The hardest universities for chief residents to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for chief residents 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 chief residents 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief residents
The easiest schools for chief residents to get into are D'Youville College, barry university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief resident 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 chief residents.
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. 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. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
8. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average chief resident salary by education level
| Chief resident education level | Chief resident salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $96,951 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $84,367 |
| Doctorate Degree | $116,016 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $75,439 |
Chief resident education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025