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First assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a first assistant. First assistants usually study nursing, business, or physician assistant. 53% of first assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,540 real first assistant resumes to see exactly what first assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for first assistants are the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Rochester Institute of Technology.
There are also many online first assistant courses to help get the education required to be a first assistant.
There are certain first assistant certifications that you should consider. These first assistant certifications include Physician Assistant - Certified (PA-C) and Certified Surgical Technologist (CST).
What education do you need to become a first assistant?
What degree do you need to be a first assistant?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 13%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a first assistant?
- Nursing, 17%
- Business, 13%
- Physician Assistant, 11%
- Photography, 10%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for first assistants
| First assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 8.44% |
| Western New England University | 8.44% |
| New York University | 6.49% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.49% |
| Florida State University | 6.49% |
Best majors for first assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 17.1% |
| 2 | Business | 13.1% |
| 3 | Physician Assistant | 11.5% |
| 4 | Photography | 10.0% |
| 5 | Medical Technician | 6.8% |
Best colleges for first assistants
The best colleges for first assistants are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A first 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 first 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 first assistants.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
9. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
10. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
20 best online courses for first assistants
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13. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness
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14. The Critical Role of IT Support Staff in Healthcare
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20. HACCP-Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point Certification
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Top 10 most affordable universities for first assistants
The most affordable schools for first assistants are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for first 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 first assistants.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
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. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for first assistants
The hardest universities for first assistants to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for first 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 first 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for first assistants
The easiest schools for first assistants to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a first 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 first assistants.
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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
Average first assistant salary by education level
| First assistant education level | First assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $69,241 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $47,620 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $58,803 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $52,553 |
First assistant education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025