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Fellow education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a fellow. Fellows usually study political science, law, or psychology. 64% of fellows hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 28,373 real fellow resumes to see exactly what fellow education sections show.
The most common colleges for fellows are the American University and the American University.
There are also many online fellow courses to help get the education required to be a fellow.
There are certain fellow certifications that you should consider. These fellow certifications include Certified in Public Health (CPH) and Professional Researcher Certification (PRC).
What education do you need to become a fellow?
What degree do you need to be a fellow?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Master's, 16%
- Doctorate, 14%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a fellow?
- Political Science, 16%
- Law, 10%
- Psychology, 8%
- Biology, 7%
- Other Majors, 59%
Most common colleges for fellows
| Fellow common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| American University | 7.08% |
| George Washington University, The | 6.88% |
| New York University | 6.68% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.42% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.08% |
Best majors for fellows
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Political Science | 16.1% |
| 2 | Law | 9.8% |
| 3 | Psychology | 7.6% |
| 4 | Biology | 6.8% |
| 5 | Business | 6.6% |
Best colleges for fellows
The best colleges for fellows are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A fellow with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for fellows. 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 fellows.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
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. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
10. University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,700
Enrollment
29,722
20 best online courses for fellows
Advertising disclosure
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2. Introduction to Statistics & Data Analysis in Public Health
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5. Systems Thinking In Public Health
This course provides an introduction to systems thinking and systems models in public health. Problems in public health and health policy tend to be complex with many actors, institutions and risk factors involved. If an outcome depends on many interacting and adaptive parts and actors the outcome cannot be analyzed or predicted with traditional statistical methods. Systems thinking is a core skill in public health and helps health policymakers build programs and policies that are aware of and...
6. Data Science for Health Research
In Data Science for Health Research, learn to organize and visualize health data using statistical analysis in programs like R. Explore how to translate data, interpret statistical models, and predict outcomes to help make data-informed decisions within the public health field...
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The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health provides an engaging overview of the incredible accomplishments and promise of the public health field. The first module includes interviews with legendary public health figures whose work led to millions of lives saved with vaccines, air bags and car seats, and the federal Women Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program. The second module brings key public health tools to life -- including use of data, communications, and policy - through...
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11. Fundamentals of Data Analysis for Big Data
This course prepares participants to begin running data analysis on databases...
12. Complete Data Wrangling & Data Visualisation With Python
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13. Health Data 101
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16. Core Spatial Data Analysis: Introductory GIS with R and QGIS
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17. Data Analysis with Pandas and Python
Analyze data quickly and easily with Python's powerful pandas library! All datasets included --- beginners welcome!...
18. Applied Statistical Modeling for Data Analysis in R
Your Complete Guide to Statistical Data Analysis and Visualization For Practical Applications in R...
19. Data Science for Professionals
It's time to leave spreadsheets behind.....
20. Press Coverage, Publicity & Public Relations For Branding
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Top 10 most affordable universities for fellows
The most affordable schools for fellows are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for fellows 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 fellows.
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. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
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 fellows
The hardest universities for fellows to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for fellows 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 fellows 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. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
7. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fellows
The easiest schools for fellows to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fellow 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 fellows.
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. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
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. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average fellow salary by education level
| Fellow education level | Fellow salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $64,434 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,216 |
| Doctorate Degree | $67,561 |
Fellow education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025