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Faculty research assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a faculty research assistant. Faculty research assistants usually study biology, psychology, or chemistry. 62% of faculty research assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,147 real faculty research assistant resumes to see exactly what faculty research assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for faculty research assistants are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.
There are also many online faculty research assistant courses to help get the education required to be a faculty research assistant.
What education do you need to become a faculty research assistant?
What degree do you need to be a faculty research assistant?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 20%
- Doctorate, 14%
- Associate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a faculty research assistant?
- Biology, 14%
- Psychology, 13%
- Chemistry, 8%
- Other Majors, 57%
Most common colleges for faculty research assistants
| Faculty research assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Maryland - College Park | 25.88% |
| Oregon State University | 7.65% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.06% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.06% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.29% |
Best majors for faculty research assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 14.1% |
| 2 | Psychology | 13.1% |
| 3 | Chemistry | 7.8% |
| 4 | Political Science | 7.6% |
| 5 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 6.3% |
Best colleges for faculty research assistants
The best colleges for faculty research assistants are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A faculty research assistant 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 research assistants. 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 research assistants.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for faculty research assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for faculty research assistants
The most affordable schools for faculty research assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.
If the best universities for faculty research assistants 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 research assistants.
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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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 research assistants
The hardest universities for faculty research assistants to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for faculty research assistants 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 research assistants 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for faculty research assistants
The easiest schools for faculty research assistants to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, kean university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a faculty research assistant 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 research assistants.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
6. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
7. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
8. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
9. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
10. American International College
Springfield, MA • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
1,010
Average faculty research assistant salary by education level
| Faculty research assistant education level | Faculty research assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $70,740 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $57,797 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $60,450 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $63,423 |
Faculty research assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025