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General pediatrician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a general pediatrician. General pediatricians usually study medicine, nursing, or biology. 47% of general pediatricians hold a doctoral degree, and 22% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 125 real general pediatrician resumes to see exactly what general pediatrician education sections show.

The most common colleges for general pediatricians are the George Washington University, The and the George Washington University, The.

There are also many online general pediatrician courses to help get the education required to be a general pediatrician.

There are certain general pediatrician certifications that you should consider. These general pediatrician certifications include Certification in Pediatrics and Pediatrics.

What education do you need to become a general pediatrician?

What degree do you need to be a general pediatrician?

The most common degree for general pediatricians is doctoral degree, with 47% of general pediatricians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 22% and bachelor's degree degree at 10%.
  • Doctorate, 47%
  • Bachelor's, 22%
  • Master's, 10%
  • License, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 19%

What should I major in to become a general pediatrician?

You should major in medicine to become a general pediatrician. 33% of general pediatricians major in medicine. Other common majors for a general pediatrician include nursing and biology.

Most common colleges for general pediatricians

General pediatricians often get their degrees at George Washington University, The, University of South Florida, and Florida Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for general pediatricians in the US based on their resumes.
General pediatrician common collegePercentages
George Washington University, The9.09%
University of South Florida9.09%
Florida Institute of Technology4.55%
New York University4.55%
Mount Holyoke College4.55%

Best majors for general pediatricians

Best colleges for general pediatricians

The best colleges for general pediatricians are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

A general pediatrician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for general pediatricians. 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 general pediatricians.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

4. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

5. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for general pediatricians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for general pediatricians

The most affordable schools for general pediatricians are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and florida international university.

If the best universities for general pediatricians 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 general pediatricians.

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. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for general pediatricians

The hardest universities for general pediatricians to get into are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for general pediatricians 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 general pediatricians 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for general pediatricians

The easiest schools for general pediatricians to get into are D'Youville College, curry college, and felician university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a general pediatrician 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 general pediatricians.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

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. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. American International College

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,010

9. Dominican College of Blauvelt

Orangeburg, NY • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,038

10. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

Average general pediatrician salary by education level

General pediatrician education levelGeneral pediatrician salary
Doctorate Degree$168,735

General pediatrician 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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