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Lead scientist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a lead scientist. Lead scientists usually study chemistry, biology, or biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology. 52% of lead scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 390 real lead scientist resumes to see exactly what lead scientist education sections show.
The most common colleges for lead scientists are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online lead scientist courses to help get the education required to be a lead scientist.
What education do you need to become a lead scientist?
What degree do you need to be a lead scientist?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Doctorate, 30%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become a lead scientist?
Most common colleges for lead scientists
| Lead scientist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 10.96% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.85% |
| University of Washington | 6.85% |
| Ohio State University | 6.85% |
| The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler | 5.48% |
Best majors for lead scientists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemistry | 24.4% |
| 2 | Biology | 17.8% |
| 3 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 12.4% |
| 4 | Physics | 8.7% |
| 5 | Chemical Engineering | 4.7% |
Best colleges for lead scientists
The best colleges for lead scientists are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A lead 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 lead 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 lead scientists.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for lead scientists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead scientists
The most affordable schools for lead scientists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for lead 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 lead scientists.
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 - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lead scientists
The hardest universities for lead scientists to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for lead 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 lead 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead scientists
The easiest schools for lead scientists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, d'youville college, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead 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 lead scientists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average lead scientist salary by education level
| Lead scientist education level | Lead scientist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $106,922 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $104,959 |
| Doctorate Degree | $111,953 |
Lead scientist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025