Post job

Graduate fellow education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a graduate fellow. Graduate fellows usually study law, political science, or psychology. 63% of graduate fellows hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,676 real graduate fellow resumes to see exactly what graduate fellow education sections show.

The most common colleges for graduate fellows are the Brooklyn Law School and the Brooklyn Law School.

There are also many online graduate fellow courses to help get the education required to be a graduate fellow.

What education do you need to become a graduate fellow?

What degree do you need to be a graduate fellow?

The most common degree for graduate fellows is bachelor's degree, with 63% of graduate fellows earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 21% and master's degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Master's, 21%
  • Doctorate, 14%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 0%

What should I major in to become a graduate fellow?

You should major in law to become a graduate fellow. 15% of graduate fellows major in law. Other common majors for a graduate fellow include political science and psychology.

Most common colleges for graduate fellows

Graduate fellows often get their degrees at Brooklyn Law School, University of Florida, and Case Western Reserve University. Here are the most common colleges for graduate fellows in the US based on their resumes.
Graduate fellow common collegePercentages
Brooklyn Law School7.47%
University of Florida6.76%
Case Western Reserve University6.41%
Merrimack College6.05%
University of Maryland - College Park6.05%

Best majors for graduate fellows

RankMajorPercentages
1Law15.3%
2Political Science12.2%
3Psychology9.6%
4Biology9.4%
5Business5.9%

Best colleges for graduate fellows

The best colleges for graduate fellows are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A graduate 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 graduate 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 graduate fellows.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

7. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

20 best online courses for graduate fellows

Advertising disclosure

1. Data Analysis with Python Project

coursera

The "Data Analysis Project" course empowers students to apply their knowledge and skills gained in this specialization to conduct a real-life data analysis project of their interest. Participants will explore various directions in data analysis, including supervised and unsupervised learning, regression, clustering, dimension reduction, association rules, and outlier detection. Throughout the modules, students will learn essential data analysis techniques and methodologies and embark on a...

2. Core Spatial Data Analysis: Introductory GIS with R and QGIS

udemy
4.4
(1,989)

Become Proficient In Spatial Data Analysis Using R & QGIS By Working On A Real Project - Get A Job In Spatial Data!...

3. Fundamentals of Data Analysis for Big Data

udemy
4.5
(270)

This course prepares participants to begin running data analysis on databases...

4. Data Analysis Excel for Beginners: Statistical Data Analysis

udemy
4.7
(358)

Data Analysis with Excel 2013 for Beginners. Business Data Analysis. Statistical Data Analysis with Case Studies...

5. Applied Statistical Modeling for Data Analysis in R

udemy
4.6
(1,688)

Your Complete Guide to Statistical Data Analysis and Visualization For Practical Applications in R...

6. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales

udemy
4.6
(505)

How to Process Survey Data and Analyze Likert Scales In SPSS...

7. Complete Data Science Training with Python for Data Analysis

udemy
4.5
(1,893)

Beginners python data analytics : Data science introduction : Learn data science : Python data analysis methods tutorial...

8. Qualitative Data Analysis using MAXQDA: Scratch to Advanced

udemy
4.1
(621)

Master Qualitative Research Method, Content Analysis, Grounded Theory, Thematic Analysis and more with MAXQDA Analytics...

9. Health Data 101

udemy
4.4
(1,787)

An Introduction to Health Data for data analysts...

10. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery

udemy
4.5
(82,218)

Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...

11. Data Analysis with Pandas and Python

udemy
4.6
(20,640)

Analyze data quickly and easily with Python's powerful pandas library! All datasets included --- beginners welcome!...

12. Project Management Course: Master Project Scope Management

udemy
4.3
(457)

Practical guide to scope development and management - Project Management Certification (PMP, CAPM) Training [Earn 11PDU]...

13. Data Analytics Real-World Projects in Python

udemy
4.4
(1,205)

Build Portfolio/Resume of 5 Data Analysis Projects with Pandas,Seaborn,Plotly etc in Python & get a job of Data Analyst...

14. Data Analysis & Statistics: practical course for beginners

udemy
4.4
(603)

Learn how to uncover the power of data analysis and statistics in this complete and easy to follow step-by-step course...

15. Data Analysis Real world use-cases- Hands on Python

udemy
4.6
(811)

Build a Portfolio of 5 Data Analysis Projects with Python, Seaborn,Pandas,Plotly, numpy etc & get a job of Data Analyst...

16. Data Science- Project Management Methodology-CRISP-DM

udemy
4.3
(584)

End to End High Level Overview of Data Science & AI projects...

17. Statistics / Data Analysis in SPSS: Inferential Statistics

udemy
4.7
(1,622)

Increase Your Data Analytic Skills – Highly Valued And Sought After By Employers...

18. Essential Statistics for Data Analysis

udemy
4.7
(606)

Learn statistics with fun, real-world projects; probability distributions, hypothesis tests, regression analysis & more!...

19. Statistical Data Analysis with SAS

udemy
4.4
(575)

Understanding the Data Flow in SAS: Learn SAS Programming from Data Importing, Management, Manipulation to Data Analysis...

20. Apply finance concepts for smart project management

udemy
4.2
(338)

Learn to read financial statements and make meaningful interpretations for business decisions in the age of big data...

Top 10 most affordable universities for graduate fellows

The most affordable schools for graduate fellows are Brigham Young University, inter american university of puerto rico bayamon, and inter american university of puerto rico aguadilla.

If the best universities for graduate 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 graduate fellows.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla

Aguadilla, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,284

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus

San Juan, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

11,299

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Cost of attendance

24,568

10. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Newark

Newark, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$14,409

Cost of attendance

25,083

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for graduate fellows

The hardest universities for graduate fellows to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for graduate 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 graduate 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. 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

10. Washington and Lee University

Lexington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

21%

SAT average

1,444

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for graduate fellows

The easiest schools for graduate fellows to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, barry university, and university of southern maine.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a graduate 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 graduate fellows.

1. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,050

4. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

5. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

6. Saint Thomas University

Miami Gardens, FL • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

1,031

7. Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, FL • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,196

8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Newark

Newark, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

63%

SAT average

1,105

9. Western New England University

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,160

10. Pace University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,154

Average graduate fellow salary by education level

According to our data, graduate fellows with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $73,699 annually. Graduate fellows with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $72,117.
Graduate fellow education levelGraduate fellow salary
Master's Degree$72,117
High School Diploma or Less$63,979
Bachelor's Degree$66,582
Doctorate Degree$73,699
Some College/ Associate Degree$64,784

Graduate fellow education FAQs

Search for graduate fellow jobs

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.

Browse education, training, and library jobs