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Development scientist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a development scientist. Development scientists usually study chemistry, biology, or biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology. 65% of development scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 634 real development scientist resumes to see exactly what development scientist education sections show.
The most common colleges for development scientists are the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
There are also many online development scientist courses to help get the education required to be a development scientist.
What education do you need to become a development scientist?
What degree do you need to be a development scientist?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Doctorate, 16%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a development scientist?
Most common colleges for development scientists
| Development scientist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 8.85% |
| Temple University | 7.08% |
| Drexel University | 7.08% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.08% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 7.08% |
Best majors for development scientists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemistry | 34.2% |
| 2 | Biology | 17.7% |
| 3 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 10.8% |
| 4 | Pharmacy | 6.3% |
| 5 | Microbiology | 4.9% |
Best colleges for development scientists
The best colleges for development scientists are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A development scientist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for development scientists. 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 development scientists.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for development scientists
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4. Certificate Course in Drug Regulatory Affairs (DRA)
Pharma course (NDA, ANDA, CTD, DMF, USFDA, Regulatory strategy, GMP, Clinical Research, Orange Book, Pharmaceuticals)...
5. Mastering Software Development in R
R is a programming language and a free software environment for statistical computing and graphics, widely used by data analysts, data scientists and statisticians. This Specialization covers R software development for building data science tools. As the field of data science evolves, it has become clear that software development skills are essential for producing and scaling useful data science results and products.\n\nThis Specialization will give you rigorous training in the R language,...
6. Clinical Trials Analysis, Monitoring, and Presentation
In this course, you’ll learn more advanced operational skills that you and your team need to run a successful clinical trial. You’ll learn about the computation of sample size and how to develop a sample size calculation that’s suitable for your trial design and outcome measures. You’ll also learn to use statistical methods to monitor your trial for safety, integrity, and efficacy. Next, you’ll learn how to report the results from your clinical trials through both journal articles and data...
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8. Certificate in Qlik Sense Analytics Development
Real world data scenarios for Qlik Sense app development...
9. Clinical Trials Operations
This specialization is designed for individuals and teams that will be running or interacting with clinical trials. In four courses, learners will develop insights and build the skills they need to design, manage, and monitor clinical trials as well as analyze, document, and communicate the results. Learners will also learn best practices regarding ethics, safety, participant recruitment, regulatory compliance, and reporting standards. The core principles and skills of the specialization will...
10. Databases for Data Scientists
Whether you are a beginning programmer with an interest in Data Science, a data scientist working closely with content experts, or a software developer seeking to learn about the database layer of the stack this specialization is for you! We focus on the relational database which is the most widely used type of database. Relational databases have dominated the database software marketplace for nearly four decades and form a core, foundational part of software development. In this specialization...
11. SQL Server Analysis Services - SSAS, Data Mining & Analytics
Develop SSAS cubes from data warehouse on Multidimensional & Tabular modes with Dimensional & Data Mining Models...
12. Essential Non Technical Skills of Effective Data Scientists
Boost your Data Science Career by developing these crucial Non Technical Skills & become a Successful Data Scientist...
13. Business Analysis: Developing Requirements
Master the methods involved in planning and gathering requirements and framing input into requirements documents...
14. R Programming: Advanced Analytics In R For Data Science
Take Your R & R Studio Skills To The Next Level. Data Analytics, Data Science, Statistical Analysis in Business, GGPlot2...
15. Business analysis & Scrum with JIRA for Software development
Become a great Business analyst, Product owner & Scrum master with JIRA & Confluence. Business analysis & Scrum course...
16. Learn Data Science & Machine Learning with R from A-Z
Become a professional Data Scientist with R and learn Machine Learning, Data Analysis + Visualization, Web Apps + more!...
17. Practical SQL Bootcamp for Data Analysts and Data Scientists
Master One of the Most In-Demand Skills for Data Analysts in 2020!...
18. Business Analysis: Developing Irresistible Business Cases
Building the business acumen you need to promote your projects to management...
19. Business Mind - Mastering Business Development
Master in Practice the Product, Sales and Marketing Perspective of Business Development...
20. Data Warehouse Development Process
Specific aspects of Data Warehouse Development Process...
Top 10 most affordable universities for development scientists
The most affordable schools for development scientists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for development scientists 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 development scientists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for development scientists
The hardest universities for development scientists to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for development scientists 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 development scientists 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
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. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for development scientists
The easiest schools for development scientists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, d'youville college, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a development scientist 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 development scientists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average development scientist salary by education level
| Development scientist education level | Development scientist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $90,170 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $88,686 |
| Doctorate Degree | $93,963 |
Development scientist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025