Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Manufacturing scientist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a manufacturing scientist. Manufacturing scientists usually study biology, chemistry, or biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology. 76% of manufacturing scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 170 real manufacturing scientist resumes to see exactly what manufacturing scientist education sections show.
The most common colleges for manufacturing scientists are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online manufacturing scientist courses to help get the education required to be a manufacturing scientist.
What education do you need to become a manufacturing scientist?
What degree do you need to be a manufacturing scientist?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a manufacturing scientist?
Most common colleges for manufacturing scientists
| Manufacturing scientist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 14.89% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 10.64% |
| University of California - Davis | 8.51% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.38% |
| University of Delaware | 6.38% |
Best majors for manufacturing scientists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 31.7% |
| 2 | Chemistry | 17.9% |
| 3 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 15.2% |
| 4 | Chemical Engineering | 8.3% |
| 5 | Microbiology | 4.1% |
Best colleges for manufacturing scientists
The best colleges for manufacturing scientists are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A manufacturing 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 manufacturing 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 manufacturing 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
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 manufacturing scientists
Advertising disclosure
1. Simulation of Manufacturing Process Using R Simmer
Welcome to "Simulation of Manufacturing Process Using R Simmer". This is a project-based course which should take about 2 hours to finish. Before diving into the project, please take a look at the course objectives and structure. By the end of this project, you will gain introductiory knowledge of Discrete Event Simulation, Manufacturing Process Analysis, be able to use R Studio and Simmer library, create statistical variables required for simulation, define process trajectory, define and...
2. Additive Manufacturing
This course, Additive Manufacturing, is the third course in the Coursera Specialization, Digital Technologies and the Future of Manufacturing. In this course, learners will be introduced to the concept of Additive Manufacturing, learn how it is applied in manufacturing, and what businesses should consider as they decide to implement this technology. Considerations include the economics of the technology, information technology infrastructure, manufacturing ecosystem partners, the business value...
3. Manufacturing process selection and Design for manufacturing
Learn about the basics of selecting process for a mechanical design and the principles of design for Manufacturing...
4. Basic Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
Learn the good practices that applies to the pharmaceutical industry...
5. Sensor Manufacturing and Process Control
"Sensor Manufacturing and Process Control" can also be taken for academic credit as ECEA 5343, part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree. This is our fourth course in our specialization on Embedding Sensor and Motors. To get the most out of this course, you should first take our first course entitled "Sensors and Sensor Circuits", our second course entitled "Motor and Motor Control Circuits", and our third course entitled "Pressure, Force, Motion, and Humidity...
6. Digital Manufacturing & Design Technology
Whether you’re a high school graduate exploring manufacturing careers, or an operations manager hungry for an understanding of the newest manufacturing technologies, this specialization will provide a foundation in how digital advances are changing the landscape and capabilities of factories. Nine courses – developed with input from the manufacturing industry – touch on Industry 4.0 and its components, including digital manufacturing and design practices, the concept of the digital thread, the...
7. Manufacturing Guide for Mechanical Product Development
Learn how everyday physical products are manufactured with no prior experience in engineering...
8. Fundamentals of Manufacturing for an ERP like SAP
Manufacturing Fundamentals...
9. Additive Manufacturing
This specialization is designed to be an introduction to additive manufacturing (AM) with exposure to six different AM processes. The field of AM can be broadly divided into three elements: process, materials and design. This specialization will provide a broad overview of all three elements, which is an ideal preparation for more advanced courses that dive more deeply into the growing field of AM. This specialization covers build preparation, machine setup, and post-processing requirements for...
10. Semiconductor Packaging Manufacturing
This course will provide information on the various stages of semiconductor package manufacturing, including sort, assembly, and final test. In addition, we will also describe how to select, build, and test the packages with the die and other components to ensure the quality of the package and total assembly performance. We will also discuss the role of Process Control Systems in semiconductor manufacturing as they relate to quality testing. Specifically, we will explore how Process Control...
11. ISO 13485 - IQOQPQ - Process Validation for Medical Devices
Installation Qualification (IQ), Operational Qualification (OQ) & Performance Qualification (PQ) Medical Devices...
12. Lean Manufacturing A-Z: Lean Operations Management
Lean Business Operations Management, Lean Process and Systems Improvement in Production and Industry. MBA style course...
13. Battery Comparison, Manufacturing, and Packaging
Battery comparison, Manufacturing, and Packaging: In this course, you’ll identify components of battery management systems including electrical and thermal protections, cell balancing, state of charge and state of health estimation...
14. Design for Additive Manufacturing
Should a part be made with additive manufacturing? If so, what process should one select, and what design choices should one make? This course seeks to answer these questions by providing a framework called the DFAM staircase, and by providing a scorecard for assessing appropriateness for additive manufacturing. The necessary elements for each course are lecture videos, knowledge checks, and project completion. For additional information on certain topics, I've included supplemental readings...
15. Medical Device Process Validation. ISO 13485. IQ OQ PQ.
Validate a process to gain approval to sell medical devices in the EU, U.S. & Internationally. Compliance to ISO 13485...
16. Batch Processing with Spring Batch & Spring Boot
Batch Processing of Data with Java Spring Framework & My SQL. Item Reader, Item Writer, Item Processor & JPA Reader...
17. The Data Scientist’s Toolbox
In this course you will get an introduction to the main tools and ideas in the data scientist's toolbox. The course gives an overview of the data, questions, and tools that data analysts and data scientists work with. There are two components to this course. The first is a conceptual introduction to the ideas behind turning data into actionable knowledge. The second is a practical introduction to the tools that will be used in the program like version control, markdown, git, GitHub, R, and...
18. Der Werkzeugkasten des Data Scientist
In this course you will get an introduction to the main tools and ideas in the data scientist's toolbox. The course gives an overview of the data, questions, and tools that data analysts and data scientists work with. There are two components to this course. The first is a conceptual introduction to the ideas behind turning data into actionable knowledge. The second is a practical introduction to the tools that will be used in the program like version control, markdown, git, GitHub, R, and...
19. Essential Non Technical Skills of Effective Data Scientists
Boost your Data Science Career by developing these crucial Non Technical Skills & become a Successful Data Scientist...
20. Process Capability Analysis
A Powerful Tool Set for Understanding your Manufacturing Process Relative to Your Customers' Quality Expectations...
Top 10 most affordable universities for manufacturing scientists
The most affordable schools for manufacturing 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 manufacturing 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 manufacturing 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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for manufacturing scientists
The hardest universities for manufacturing scientists to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for manufacturing 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 manufacturing 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for manufacturing scientists
The easiest schools for manufacturing 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 manufacturing 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 manufacturing 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. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average manufacturing scientist salary by education level
| Manufacturing scientist education level | Manufacturing scientist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $84,879 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $83,309 |
| Doctorate Degree | $88,906 |
Manufacturing scientist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
Search for manufacturing scientist jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025