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Information scientist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an information scientist. Information scientists usually study pharmacy, biology, or chemistry. 59% of information scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 187 real information scientist resumes to see exactly what information scientist education sections show.
The most common colleges for information scientists are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.
There are also many online information scientist courses to help get the education required to be an information scientist.
What education do you need to become an information scientist?
What degree do you need to be an information scientist?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Doctorate, 18%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an information scientist?
Most common colleges for information scientists
| Information scientist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Florida | 7.84% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 7.84% |
| Drexel University | 7.84% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 7.84% |
| Louisiana State University and A&M College | 5.88% |
Best majors for information scientists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmacy | 23.5% |
| 2 | Biology | 18.5% |
| 3 | Chemistry | 8.4% |
| 4 | Business | 5.9% |
| 5 | Library Science And Administration | 5.9% |
Best colleges for information scientists
The best colleges for information scientists are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
An information scientist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for information scientists. 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 information scientists.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
5. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
9. Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$38,178
Enrollment
6,008
10. University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$13,764
Enrollment
20,435
20 best online courses for information scientists
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Prepare for a data science career by learning the fundamental data programming tools: R, SQL, command line, and git...
4. Intro to Machine Learning with PyTorch
Learn foundational machine learning techniques -- from data manipulation to unsupervised and supervised algorithms...
5. Information Systems Auditing, Controls and Assurance
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This specialization provides a robust introduction to the key principles and practices of Information Systems Management.\n\nThe first course describes how Information Systems address business problems. This takes the form of an IT alignment model that describes how Information Systems provide capabilities that enable or support organizational strategy. This component also includes an economic analysis of the Information System.\n\nThe second course in the specialization entails the practice of...
7. Information Technology Essentials
Introduction to Information Technology and Information Systems...
8. Certificate Program In Management Information Systems
Learn about the exciting world of Management Information Systems and its impact on the way organisations now function...
9. Python Programming (Part Time)
Gain fluency in Python — the world's fastest-growing major programming language — and start leveraging its versatile capabilities to build web and data science applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
10. Intro to Coding
Discover if coding is a career fit for you In this free, two-hour livestream, explore the building blocks of the web — HTML and CSS — and learn how you can apply these programming languages to develop your own simple sites. All in real time, taught by an industry professional. Come learn the basics and gain the skills you need to write your first line of code!...
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13. Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO)
Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO) Certification Exam Prep Course...
14. Information Systems Security for Professionals: CISSP
Making Next Gen Information Security Leaders...
15. Intro to Data Science
Discover if coding is a career fit for you In this two hour live workshop you will walk through the typical data science workflow and see how the pros identify powerful business predictions. You’ll get first-hand experience to explore the key tools and processes that data scientists use to analyze, visualize, and model data. ...
16. Data Engineer
Learn to design data models, build data warehouses and data lakes, automate data pipelines, and work with massive datasets...
17. Artificial Intelligence
Learn essential Artificial Intelligence concepts from AI experts like Peter Norvig and Sebastian Thrun, including search, optimization, planning, pattern recognition, and more...
18. The Absolute Beginners Guide to Information Technology 2023
Gain a solid foundation knowledge of all 4 main branches of Information Technology...
19. ISO/IEC 27002:2022. Information security controls
Learn about the comprehensive set of information security controls proposed by ISO/IEC 27002:2022...
20. Data Science for Business Leaders
Master the strategic decision-making skills for the people, platforms, and processes required to leverage the power of Data Science in your business...
Top 10 most affordable universities for information scientists
The most affordable schools for information scientists are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for information scientists 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 information scientists.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. York College of the City University of New York
Jamaica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,158
Cost of attendance
14,204
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for information scientists
The hardest universities for information scientists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for information scientists 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 information scientists 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for information scientists
The easiest schools for information scientists to get into are D'Youville College, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an information scientist 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 information scientists.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
8. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
9. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
10. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
Average information scientist salary by education level
| Information scientist education level | Information scientist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $97,148 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $86,846 |
Information scientist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025