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Chief scientific officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chief scientific officer. Chief scientific officers usually study chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, or biology. 48% of chief scientific officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 525 real chief scientific officer resumes to see exactly what chief scientific officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for chief scientific officers are the Yale University and the Yale University.
There are also many online chief scientific officer courses to help get the education required to be a chief scientific officer.
What education do you need to become a chief scientific officer?
What degree do you need to be a chief scientific officer?
- Bachelor's, 48%
- Doctorate, 25%
- Master's, 22%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a chief scientific officer?
- Chemistry, 23%
- Biology, 10%
- Microbiology, 8%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for chief scientific officers
| Chief scientific officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Yale University | 8.77% |
| University of the West | 7.02% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.02% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 7.02% |
| University of Washington | 5.26% |
Best majors for chief scientific officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemistry | 23.2% |
| 2 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 13.5% |
| 3 | Biology | 9.7% |
| 4 | Microbiology | 8.2% |
| 5 | Pharmacy | 5.6% |
Best colleges for chief scientific officers
The best colleges for chief scientific officers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A chief scientific officer 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 scientific officers. 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 scientific officers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
6. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
8. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
10. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$50,226
Enrollment
10,873
20 best online courses for chief scientific officers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for chief scientific officers
The most affordable schools for chief scientific officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for chief scientific officers 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 scientific officers.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
10. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief scientific officers
The hardest universities for chief scientific officers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for chief scientific officers 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 scientific officers 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief scientific officers
The easiest schools for chief scientific officers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief scientific officer 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 scientific officers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
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. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
10. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
Average chief scientific officer salary by education level
| Chief scientific officer education level | Chief scientific officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $120,016 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $109,081 |
| Doctorate Degree | $119,996 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $82,215 |
Chief scientific officer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025