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Clinical statistical programmer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a clinical statistical programmer. Clinical statistical programmers usually study statistics, mathematics, or computer science. 59% of clinical statistical programmers hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 549 real clinical statistical programmer resumes to see exactly what clinical statistical programmer education sections show.

The most common colleges for clinical statistical programmers are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

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

There are certain clinical statistical programmer certifications that you should consider. These clinical statistical programmer certifications include SAS Certified Advanced Programmer for SAS 9 and SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9 (CBP).

What education do you need to become a clinical statistical programmer?

What degree do you need to be a clinical statistical programmer?

The most common degree for clinical statistical programmers is bachelor's degree, with 59% of clinical statistical programmers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 31% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 59%
  • Master's, 31%
  • Doctorate, 5%
  • Associate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a clinical statistical programmer?

You should major in statistics to become a clinical statistical programmer. 18% of clinical statistical programmers major in statistics. Other common majors for a clinical statistical programmer include mathematics and computer science.

Most common colleges for clinical statistical programmers

Clinical statistical programmers often get their degrees at University of California, Santa Barbara, The University of Texas at Arlington, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for clinical statistical programmers in the US based on their resumes.
Clinical statistical programmer common collegePercentages
University of California, Santa Barbara8.05%
The University of Texas at Arlington8.05%
University of Maryland - College Park8.05%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill6.90%
University of North Carolina at Wilmington6.90%

Best majors for clinical statistical programmers

RankMajorPercentages
1Statistics18.5%
2Mathematics15.6%
3Computer Science12.1%
4Biostatistics5.7%
5Pharmacy5.1%

Best colleges for clinical statistical programmers

The best colleges for clinical statistical programmers are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.

A clinical statistical programmer 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 statistical programmers. 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 statistical programmers.

1. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

4. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

8. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for clinical statistical programmers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for clinical statistical programmers

The most affordable schools for clinical statistical programmers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for clinical statistical programmers 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 statistical programmers.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clinical statistical programmers

The hardest universities for clinical statistical programmers to get into are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for clinical statistical programmers 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 statistical programmers 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

10. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clinical statistical programmers

The easiest schools for clinical statistical programmers to get into are University of Houston - Downtown, university of the incarnate word, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a clinical statistical programmer 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 statistical programmers.

1. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

6. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

7. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average clinical statistical programmer salary by education level

According to our data, clinical statistical programmers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $93,326 annually. Clinical statistical programmers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $90,853.
Clinical statistical programmer education levelClinical statistical programmer salary
Master's Degree$90,853
Bachelor's Degree$86,944
Doctorate Degree$93,326
Some College/ Associate Degree$75,933

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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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