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Lecturer/instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a lecturer/instructor. Lecturer/instructors usually study english, nursing, or education. 48% of lecturer/instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 34% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 859 real lecturer/instructor resumes to see exactly what lecturer/instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for lecturer/instructors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online lecturer/instructor courses to help get the education required to be a lecturer/instructor.
What education do you need to become a lecturer/instructor?
What degree do you need to be a lecturer/instructor?
- Bachelor's, 48%
- Master's, 34%
- Doctorate, 11%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a lecturer/instructor?
Most common colleges for lecturer/instructors
| Lecturer/instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 11.21% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 6.54% |
| Boston University | 6.54% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.54% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.54% |
Best majors for lecturer/instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 13.6% |
| 2 | Nursing | 9.6% |
| 3 | Education | 9.1% |
| 4 | Biology | 6.8% |
| 5 | Psychology | 5.7% |
Best colleges for lecturer/instructors
The best colleges for lecturer/instructors are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A lecturer/instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for lecturer/instructors. 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 lecturer/instructors.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for lecturer/instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for lecturer/instructors
The most affordable schools for lecturer/instructors are United States Merchant Marine Academy, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for lecturer/instructors 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 lecturer/instructors.
1. United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$1,080
Cost of attendance
6,646
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
5. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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 lecturer/instructors
The hardest universities for lecturer/instructors to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for lecturer/instructors 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 lecturer/instructors 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
8. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lecturer/instructors
The easiest schools for lecturer/instructors to get into are AdventHealth University, texas a&m; university - kingsville, and the university of texas permian basin.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lecturer/instructor 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 lecturer/instructors.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
3. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
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. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
7. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. Colorado State University - Pueblo
Pueblo, CO • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
1,040
10. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
Average lecturer/instructor salary by education level
| Lecturer/instructor education level | Lecturer/instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $56,545 |
| Doctorate Degree | $66,683 |
Lecturer/instructor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025