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Graduate Teaching Assistant Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a graduate teaching assistant. Graduate teaching assistants usually study biology, electrical engineering, or chemistry. 72% of graduate teaching assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 31,897 real graduate teaching assistant resumes to see exactly what graduate teaching assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for graduate teaching assistants are the The University of Alabama and the The University of Alabama.
There are also many online graduate teaching assistant courses to help get the education required to be a graduate teaching assistant.
There are certain graduate teaching assistant certifications that you should consider. These graduate teaching assistant certifications include Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP) and Clinical Research Assistant.
What education do you need to become a graduate teaching assistant?
What degree do you need to be a graduate teaching assistant?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 22%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a graduate teaching assistant?
Most common colleges for graduate teaching assistants
| Graduate Teaching Assistant Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| The University of Alabama | 7.36% |
| Texas A&M University | 7.10% |
| Auburn University Main Campus | 6.68% |
| West Virginia University | 6.01% |
| University of Central Florida | 5.67% |
Best majors for graduate teaching assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 9.2% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 8.8% |
| 3 | Chemistry | 8.5% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 8.3% |
| 5 | Psychology | 7.6% |
Best colleges for graduate teaching assistants
The best colleges for graduate teaching assistants are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A graduate teaching 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 graduate teaching 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 graduate teaching assistants.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,340
Enrollment
5,301
7. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
20 best online courses for graduate teaching assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for graduate teaching assistants
The most affordable schools for graduate teaching assistants are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for graduate teaching 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 graduate teaching assistants.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,240
Cost of Attendance
13,991
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,182
Cost of Attendance
13,998
4. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,992
Cost of Attendance
22,430
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,064
Cost of Attendance
15,576
6. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,419
Cost of Attendance
17,697
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,556
Cost of Attendance
19,434
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,338
Cost of Attendance
14,281
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,656
Cost of Attendance
21,623
10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-State Tuition
$4,094
Cost of Attendance
14,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for graduate teaching assistants
The hardest universities for graduate teaching assistants to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for graduate teaching 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 graduate teaching 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. 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. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,449
5. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
9%
SAT Average
1,465
6. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
29%
SAT Average
1,422
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,513
8. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
21%
SAT Average
1,446
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
15%
SAT Average
1,461
10. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
41%
SAT Average
1,321
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for graduate teaching assistants
The easiest schools for graduate teaching assistants to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and saint joseph's college of maine.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a graduate teaching 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 graduate teaching assistants.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
100%
SAT Average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
84%
SAT Average
1,031
3. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions Rate
84%
SAT Average
1,069
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
1,003
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
68%
SAT Average
964
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,006
7. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions Rate
96%
SAT Average
1,111
8. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
1,099
9. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
99%
SAT Average
1,008
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions Rate
86%
SAT Average
991
Average graduate teaching assistant salary by education level
| Graduate Teaching Assistant education level | Graduate Teaching Assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,988 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $49,301 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,630 |
| Doctorate Degree | $62,159 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $50,321 |
Graduate Teaching Assistant Education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025