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Field observer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a field observer. Field observers usually study education, psychology, or business. 65% of field observers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 261 real field observer resumes to see exactly what field observer education sections show.

The most common colleges for field observers are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

There are also many online field observer courses to help get the education required to be a field observer.

What education do you need to become a field observer?

What degree do you need to be a field observer?

The most common degree for field observers is bachelor's degree, with 65% of field observers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 65%
  • Associate, 17%
  • Master's, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a field observer?

You should major in education to become a field observer. 10% of field observers major in education. Other common majors for a field observer include psychology and business.

Most common colleges for field observers

Field observers often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, Salem State University, and University of Pittsburgh. Here are the most common colleges for field observers in the US based on their resumes.
Field observer common collegePercentages
University of California - Davis7.50%
Salem State University5.00%
University of Pittsburgh5.00%
Temple University5.00%
Duquesne University5.00%

Best majors for field observers

RankMajorPercentages
1Education9.9%
2Psychology8.8%
3Business7.7%
4General Education, Specific Areas7.7%
5Biology7.7%

Best colleges for field observers

The best colleges for field observers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

A field observer 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 observers. 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 observers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

9. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

20 best online courses for field observers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for field observers

The most affordable schools for field observers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for field observers 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 observers.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

7. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for field observers

The hardest universities for field observers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for field observers 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 observers 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for field observers

The easiest schools for field observers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a field observer 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 observers.

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. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

8. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average field observer salary by education level

According to our data, field observers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $49,483 annually. Field observers with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $44,092.
Field observer education levelField observer salary
Master's Degree$49,483
High School Diploma or Less$39,441
Bachelor's Degree$41,496
Some College/ Associate Degree$44,092

Field observer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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