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Graduate research associate education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a graduate research associate. Graduate research associates usually study biology, chemistry, or mechanical engineering. 68% of graduate research associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,967 real graduate research associate resumes to see exactly what graduate research associate education sections show.
The most common colleges for graduate research associates are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.
There are also many online graduate research associate courses to help get the education required to be a graduate research associate.
What education do you need to become a graduate research associate?
What degree do you need to be a graduate research associate?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 23%
- Doctorate, 8%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become a graduate research associate?
Most common colleges for graduate research associates
| Graduate research associate common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Ohio State University | 41.07% |
| Arizona State University | 9.69% |
| University of Arizona | 5.36% |
| University of California - Davis | 4.34% |
| University of South Florida | 4.08% |
Best majors for graduate research associates
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 14.0% |
| 2 | Chemistry | 13.3% |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineering | 9.5% |
| 4 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 8.9% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering | 8.8% |
Best colleges for graduate research associates
The best colleges for graduate research associates are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A graduate research associate 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 research associates. 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 research associates.
1. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for graduate research associates
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Top 10 most affordable universities for graduate research associates
The most affordable schools for graduate research associates are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for graduate research associates 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 research associates.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for graduate research associates
The hardest universities for graduate research associates to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for graduate research associates 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 research associates 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,503
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
7. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for graduate research associates
The easiest schools for graduate research associates to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a graduate research associate 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 research associates.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
5. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
6. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
9. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
10. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
Average graduate research associate salary by education level
| Graduate research associate education level | Graduate research associate salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $53,216 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $43,599 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,572 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $47,782 |
Graduate research associate education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025