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Field assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a field assistant. Field assistants usually study biology, geology, or business. 68% of field assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,589 real field assistant resumes to see exactly what field assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for field assistants are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online field assistant courses to help get the education required to be a field assistant.
There are certain field assistant certifications that you should consider. These field assistant certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
What education do you need to become a field assistant?
What degree do you need to be a field assistant?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a field assistant?
Most common colleges for field assistants
| Field assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 9.57% |
| University of California - Davis | 9.22% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.67% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 5.67% |
| University of Iowa | 5.67% |
Best majors for field assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 15.1% |
| 2 | Geology | 13.7% |
| 3 | Business | 12.1% |
| 4 | Environmental Science | 10.5% |
| 5 | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology | 7.2% |
Best colleges for field assistants
The best colleges for field assistants are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A field 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 field 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 field assistants.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
20 best online courses for field assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for field assistants
The most affordable schools for field assistants are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for field 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 field assistants.
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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for field assistants
The hardest universities for field assistants to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for field 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 field 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for field assistants
The easiest schools for field assistants to get into are Wayland Baptist University, mount saint mary's university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a field 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 field assistants.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
8. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average field assistant salary by education level
| Field assistant education level | Field assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $39,532 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,187 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,227 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $32,395 |
Field assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025