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Immunologist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an immunologist. Immunologists usually study microbiology, biology, or cell biology and anatomical science. 49% of immunologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 90 real immunologist resumes to see exactly what immunologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for immunologists are the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

There are also many online immunologist courses to help get the education required to be an immunologist.

What education do you need to become an immunologist?

What degree do you need to be an immunologist?

The most common degree for immunologists is bachelor's degree, with 49% of immunologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 26% and doctoral degree degree at 23%.
  • Bachelor's, 49%
  • Doctorate, 26%
  • Master's, 23%
  • Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become an immunologist?

You should major in microbiology to become an immunologist. 27% of immunologists major in microbiology. Other common majors for an immunologist include biology and cell biology and anatomical science.

Most common colleges for immunologists

Immunologists often get their degrees at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, University of Miami, and University of New Hampshire. Here are the most common colleges for immunologists in the US based on their resumes.
Immunologist common collegePercentages
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey7.69%
University of Miami7.69%
University of New Hampshire7.69%
Temple University7.69%
Johns Hopkins University7.69%

Best majors for immunologists

Best colleges for immunologists

The best colleges for immunologists are Stanford University, Harvard University, and University of Pennsylvania.

An immunologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for immunologists. 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 immunologists.

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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

7. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

20 best online courses for immunologists

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1. Chemical Biology

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5. Clinical Trials Analysis, Monitoring, and Presentation

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6. Drug Development

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9. 3D SARS-CoV-19 Protein Visualization With Biopython

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In this project you will create an interactive three-dimensional (3D) representation of SARS-CoV-19 (Coronavirus) protein structures & publication-quality pictures of the same, understand properties of SARS-CoV-19 genome, handle biological sequence data stored in FASTA & PDB (Protein Data Bank) and XML format, and get insights from this data using Biopython. This hands-on project will also give you a glimpse of tasks a Bioinformatician performs on a daily basis, along with the up-to-date...

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13. Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials

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18. Fundamentals of Data Analysis for Big Data

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20. Data Warehouse Development Process

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Top 10 most affordable universities for immunologists

The most affordable schools for immunologists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for immunologists 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 immunologists.

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for immunologists

The hardest universities for immunologists to get into are Stanford University, Harvard University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for immunologists 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 immunologists 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

9. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,566

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for immunologists

The easiest schools for immunologists to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an immunologist 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 immunologists.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

9. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

10. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

Average immunologist salary by education level

Immunologist education levelImmunologist salary
Doctorate Degree$81,875

Immunologist 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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