Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Faculty member education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a faculty member. Faculty members usually study business, nursing, or psychology. 52% of faculty members hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,207 real faculty member resumes to see exactly what faculty member education sections show.
The most common colleges for faculty members are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online faculty member courses to help get the education required to be a faculty member.
What education do you need to become a faculty member?
What degree do you need to be a faculty member?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Master's, 27%
- Doctorate, 12%
- Associate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a faculty member?
- Business, 13%
- Nursing, 12%
- Psychology, 10%
- Education, 7%
- Other Majors, 58%
Most common colleges for faculty members
| Faculty member common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 18.37% |
| New York University | 5.44% |
| Ohio State University | 5.44% |
| Florida State University | 5.44% |
| University of Washington | 5.10% |
Best majors for faculty members
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 12.7% |
| 2 | Nursing | 11.9% |
| 3 | Psychology | 9.5% |
| 4 | Education | 7.2% |
| 5 | English | 5.9% |
Best colleges for faculty members
The best colleges for faculty members are Columbia University in the City of New York, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
A faculty member with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for faculty members. 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 faculty members.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
3. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
20 best online courses for faculty members
Advertising disclosure
1. Basic Governance for Board Members
Know your rights, duties & stay out of trouble...
2. Web Development Professional Certification
Web Development Certification by The Retail Banking School and preparing for certification at other providers...
3. Level Up Discord Bot Nodejs Development 2023
Level Up Feature For Your Server Members...
4. Executive Coaching and Business Case Development
The Guide to Executive Coaching and Business Case Development Success...
5. English Literature: Be as Informed as a Literature Graduate
The development of English Literature from its earliest texts to the present day...
6. Android Development: Android App Development From Scratch
Learn java, android, android studio, android development and android app development with Android 11, become a developer...
7. Business Mind - Mastering Business Development
Master in Practice the Product, Sales and Marketing Perspective of Business Development...
8. Introduction to Learning and Development
Become a confident people development practitioner and knowledgeable in Human Resource Development...
9. Web Development Masterclass - Online Certification Course
Cloud Computing Web Apps Linux Web Servers DBMS LAMP Stack HTML CSS Java Script PHP + More...
10. Business Development For Startups and Tech Companies
Unlock massive growth using the business development channel. Learn pitching, BD strategy, cold emailing, & deal closing...
11. The Result-Oriented Web Developer Course - BOOTCAMP 2023
The Best Full Stack Web Development Bootcamp [For Absolute Beginners & Advanced Developers]. Major Projects. Complete...
12. Become a Professional Web Developer Version 3.0
Everything you need to know to become a professional web developer from scratch, updated for modern development...
13. Android App Development Master Course with Java Android
Android Java Learn Android App Development java with Android Studio & Java to master your android development skills...
14. The Complete Android N Developer Course
Learn Android App Development with Android 7 Nougat by building real apps including Uber, Whatsapp and Instagram!...
15. Create a Members Only Blog using PHP, MySQL, & AJAX
Create a Database Driven Blog with Authentication, Validated Contact Forms, & Session Variables using PHP, MYSQL, & AJAX...
16. Web Development w/ Google's Go (golang) Programming Language
Learn Web Programming from a University Professor in Computer Science with over 20 years of teaching experience...
17. Dart & Flutter The Complete Flutter Development Course
2022 Complete Guide To Flutter Development - Build 7 Native Cross-Platform i OS and Android Apps Using Flutter...
18. The Essential Web Developer Course - Build 12 Websites
From an absolute beginner, to a certified Web developer, this course will teach you the ABCs of Web development...
19. Mathematics for Computer Games Development using Unity
A Beginner's Guide to Essential Mathematics, Data Structures and Algorithms used in Game Programming applied in Unity...
20. Business Strategy Development: The Art of Differentiation
Learn 3 key business strategy tools. Improve your business innovation skills and drive profitable business development...
Top 10 most affordable universities for faculty members
The most affordable schools for faculty members are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for faculty members 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 faculty members.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for faculty members
The hardest universities for faculty members to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for faculty members 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 faculty members 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for faculty members
The easiest schools for faculty members to get into are D'Youville College, barry university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a faculty member 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 faculty members.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
7. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
8. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average faculty member salary by education level
| Faculty member education level | Faculty member salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $95,938 |
| Doctorate Degree | $124,303 |
Faculty member education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
Search for faculty member jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025