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Junior research associate education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a junior research associate. Junior research associates usually study business, biology, or economics. 62% of junior research associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 212 real junior research associate resumes to see exactly what junior research associate education sections show.
The most common colleges for junior research associates are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online junior research associate courses to help get the education required to be a junior research associate.
What education do you need to become a junior research associate?
What degree do you need to be a junior research associate?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 23%
- Doctorate, 6%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a junior research associate?
Most common colleges for junior research associates
| Junior research associate common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 10.53% |
| University of Cincinnati | 10.53% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.89% |
| Southern Connecticut State University | 5.26% |
| New York University | 5.26% |
Best majors for junior research associates
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 11.9% |
| 2 | Biology | 10.2% |
| 3 | Economics | 9.3% |
| 4 | Chemistry | 8.5% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 7.6% |
Best colleges for junior research associates
The best colleges for junior research associates are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A junior 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 junior 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 junior research associates.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
20 best online courses for junior research associates
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1. Market Research
The Market Research Specialisation focuses on the essentials of research and the research process. This Specialisation will teach you how to use qualitative and quantitative research methods, how to develop and manage a questionnaire development strategy, how to develop measurements, how to collect data and how to analyze and present them.\n\nOnce you have completed this Specialisation, you will have a good understanding of market research including:\n\nEssentials of market research Components...
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In this course, the second in the Market Research Specialization, you will go in-depth with qualitative market research methods, from design to implementation to analysis. Week 1: Define qualitative research and how it differs from quantitative research. Explore the various qualitative research methods and evaluate when and how to use them for your research project. Week 2: Design the qualitative instruments necessary for your interviews or focus groups, and plan your recruitment efforts. Write...
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"Finding the Story in the Data” is the most important emerging capability for market researchers according to GRIT (Greenbook Research Industry Trends) Report 2016. This specialization, designed for learners with no previous Marketing Research experience teaches a comprehensive marketing research approach that will help learners find and communicate the story in the data.\n\nStudents will learn how to initiate a research project for targeted business needs, conduct research through multiple...
6. How to Visualize Research Data in Tableau
Publishing research often requires the preparation of visual elements like charts, tables, and graphs to better explain the text in a research report. Creating these elements can be done easily and effectively in Tableau. Using Tableau, large and small data sets can be visualized with precision, creativity, interactivity, and options in Tableau. After taking this course learners will know how to create a table, a geovisualization, and a pie chart. Three of the most common research...
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16. Market Research: Dekker's Complete Marketing Research Course
Competitor Analysis, Market Research Analysis, Marketing Analytics, Consumer Analytics, Conversion Rate Optimization...
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20. Financial Statement Analysis
Learn how to make understanding financial statements your superpower!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for junior research associates
The most affordable schools for junior research associates are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for junior 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 junior research associates.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
9. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
10. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for junior research associates
The hardest universities for junior research associates to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for junior 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 junior 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for junior research associates
The easiest schools for junior research associates to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a junior 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 junior research associates.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
5. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average junior research associate salary by education level
| Junior research associate education level | Junior research associate salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $93,090 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $84,009 |
| Doctorate Degree | $98,144 |
Junior research associate education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025