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Colon and rectal surgeon education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a colon and rectal surgeon. Colon and rectal surgeons usually study medical assisting services, medicine, or nursing. 21% of colon and rectal surgeons hold a associate degree, and 21% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 25 real colon and rectal surgeon resumes to see exactly what colon and rectal surgeon education sections show.

The most common colleges for colon and rectal surgeons are the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

There are also many online colon and rectal surgeon courses to help get the education required to be a colon and rectal surgeon.

What education do you need to become a colon and rectal surgeon?

What degree do you need to be a colon and rectal surgeon?

The most common degree for colon and rectal surgeons is associate degree, with 21% of colon and rectal surgeons earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 21% and bachelor's degree degree at 21%.
  • Associate, 21%
  • Bachelor's, 21%
  • Doctorate, 21%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 30%

What should I major in to become a colon and rectal surgeon?

You should major in medical assisting services to become a colon and rectal surgeon. 33% of colon and rectal surgeons major in medical assisting services. Other common majors for a colon and rectal surgeon include medicine and nursing.

Most common colleges for colon and rectal surgeons

Colon and rectal surgeons often get their degrees at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Montclair State University. Here are the most common colleges for colon and rectal surgeons in the US based on their resumes.
Colon and rectal surgeon common collegePercentages
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey20.00%
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai20.00%
Montclair State University20.00%
Monroe College20.00%
University of South Carolina - Columbia20.00%

Best majors for colon and rectal surgeons

RankMajorPercentages
1Medical Assisting Services33.3%
2Medicine25.0%
3Nursing8.3%
4Business8.3%
5Engineering8.3%

Best colleges for colon and rectal surgeons

The best colleges for colon and rectal surgeons are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A colon and rectal surgeon with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for colon and rectal surgeons. 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 colon and rectal surgeons.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for colon and rectal surgeons

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Top 10 most affordable universities for colon and rectal surgeons

The most affordable schools for colon and rectal surgeons are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for colon and rectal surgeons 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 colon and rectal surgeons.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for colon and rectal surgeons

The hardest universities for colon and rectal surgeons to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for colon and rectal surgeons 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 colon and rectal surgeons 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for colon and rectal surgeons

The easiest schools for colon and rectal surgeons to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and curry college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a colon and rectal surgeon 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 colon and rectal surgeons.

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. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

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. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

Average colon and rectal surgeon salary by education level

Colon and rectal surgeon education levelColon and rectal surgeon salary
Doctorate Degree$459,223

Colon and rectal surgeon 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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