Clinical data specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a clinical data specialist. Clinical data specialists usually study biology, health care administration, or nursing. 57% of clinical data specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 455 real clinical data specialist resumes to see exactly what clinical data specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for clinical data specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online clinical data specialist courses to help get the education required to be a clinical data specialist.

There are certain clinical data specialist certifications that you should consider. These clinical data specialist certifications include Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and Certified Clinical Data Manager (CCDM).

What education do you need to become a clinical data specialist?

What degree do you need to be a clinical data specialist?

The most common degree for clinical data specialists is bachelor's degree, with 57% of clinical data specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 57%

Associate, 21%

Master's, 13%

Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a clinical data specialist?

You should major in biology to become a clinical data specialist. 14% of clinical data specialists major in biology. Other common majors for a clinical data specialist include health care administration and nursing.

Biology, 14%

Health Care Administration, 12%

Nursing, 11%

Business, 9%

Other Majors, 54%

Most common colleges for clinical data specialists

Clinical data specialists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Emory University, and University of Massachusetts Boston. Here are the most common colleges for clinical data specialists in the US based on their resumes.

Clinical data specialist common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	9.09%
Emory University	7.58%
University of Massachusetts Boston	7.58%
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center	7.58%
Trine University	6.06%

Show more common clinical data specialist colleges

Best majors for clinical data specialists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Biology	14.1%
2	Health Care Administration	12.0%
3	Nursing	10.7%
4	Business	9.4%
5	Psychology	9.0%

Show more common clinical data specialist majors

Best colleges for clinical data specialists

The best colleges for clinical data specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

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

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$15,140

Enrollment

876

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for clinical data specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for clinical data specialists

The most affordable schools for clinical data specialists are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for clinical data specialists 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 clinical data specialists.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clinical data specialists

The hardest universities for clinical data specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for clinical data specialists 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 clinical data specialists 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

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clinical data specialists

The easiest schools for clinical data specialists to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a clinical data specialist 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 clinical data specialists.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average clinical data specialist salary by education level

Clinical data specialists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $82,316 annually. With a Master's degree, clinical data specialists earn a median annual income of $68,140 compared to $59,048 for clinical data specialists with an Bachelor's degree.

Clinical data specialist education level	Clinical data specialist salary
Master's Degree	$68,140
Bachelor's Degree	$59,048
Doctorate Degree	$82,316

Clinical data specialist education FAQs

What is the best college for Clinical Data Specialists?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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