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Medical health researcher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a medical health researcher. Medical health researchers usually study nursing, health care administration, or medical assisting services. 43% of medical health researchers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 106 real medical health researcher resumes to see exactly what medical health researcher education sections show.

The most common colleges for medical health researchers are the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Berkeley.

There are also many online medical health researcher courses to help get the education required to be a medical health researcher.

What education do you need to become a medical health researcher?

What degree do you need to be a medical health researcher?

The most common degree for medical health researchers is bachelor's degree, with 43% of medical health researchers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 43%
  • Associate, 21%
  • High School Diploma, 13%
  • Master's, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 16%

What should I major in to become a medical health researcher?

You should major in nursing to become a medical health researcher. 22% of medical health researchers major in nursing. Other common majors for a medical health researcher include health care administration and medical assisting services.

Most common colleges for medical health researchers

Medical health researchers often get their degrees at University of California, Berkeley, Ashford University, and Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. Here are the most common colleges for medical health researchers in the US based on their resumes.
Medical health researcher common collegePercentages
University of California, Berkeley9.09%
Ashford University9.09%
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania4.55%
Bryan College4.55%
National University4.55%

Best majors for medical health researchers

Best colleges for medical health researchers

The best colleges for medical health researchers are Duke University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.

A medical health researcher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for medical health researchers. 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 medical health researchers.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

20 best online courses for medical health researchers

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1. Foundations of Health Equity Research

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Introduces students to the core principles of health equity research. Covers topics such as defining health equity, engaging community and policy stakeholders, patient-centeredness, cultural competence, and dissemination of research findings. Content will recognize different geographic, cultural, and social contexts where health inequities occur...

2. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...

3. Health Data 101

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4.4
(1,787)

An Introduction to Health Data for data analysts...

4. Research Methodology: Complete Research Project Blueprint

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4.6
(857)

Research Methodology From A-Z. A Step-by-Step Guide Through Research Design, Data Collection, Analysis, & Interpretation...

5. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness

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In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: (1) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR...

6. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...

7. Medical Terminology

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4.7
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Introduction to the meaning of various roots, terms and combining forms that are components of medical words...

8. ICD 10 & 11 Medical Coding and Billing

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4.4
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Preparation for Medical Coding Certification Exam...

9. Health for All Through Primary Health Care

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This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...

10. Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics

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If you’ve ever skipped over the results section of a medical paper because terms like “confidence interval” or “p-value” go over your head, then you’re in the right place. You may be a clinical practitioner reading research articles to keep up-to-date with developments in your field or a medical student wondering how to approach your own research. Greater confidence in understanding statistical analysis and the results can benefit both working professionals and those undertaking research...

11. Data Science for Healthcare Claims Data

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4.4
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Learn and practice how to transform raw healthcare claims data into valuable knowledge and actionable insights!...

12. Research Methodology

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4.5
(621)

Academic Research Business Research Thesis & Dissertation Report Research Paper / Journal...

13. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale

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Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...

14. Health Equity Research & Practice: Local & Global Lessons

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This course introduces students to the local and global lessons in health equity research and practice, covering topics such as the effects of structural drivers and systems of power on health equity and inequities in reproductive health and immigrant health. This course then goes on to apply these lessons to health equity research projects in settings around the world. Through exploration of global interventions, learners will be prepared to take on health disparities in their local...

15. Deep Learning with PyTorch for Medical Image Analysis

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Learn how to use Pytorch-Lightning to solve real world medical imaging tasks!...

16. Practical Regulatory Affairs 2020 - US FDA Medical Devices

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4.4
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A practical course discussing the US FDA Medical Device regulations for real-world situations...

17. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation

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In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: 1) assess a basic medical patient 2) describe general pharmacologic principles and the skills associated with medication administration, 3) explain airway physiology, the assessment of the airway and available interventions for airway management, 4) identify, assess and formulate a plan to stabilize a patient with a...

18. Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations

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Have you ever needed health care and thought that there must be better ways to get or deliver health care? For example, have you found yourself thinking that there should be a way to get a diagnostic test or treatment at home? Or do you work in a healthcare organization and find yourself thinking that there must be better ways to deliver health care? If you have, this course is for you. Course content includes an overview of health care delivery including healthcare consumerism, the patient's...

19. Mental Health and Neuroplasticity: Change your Brain

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4.8
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10 Alternatives to Medication to Improve Mental Health - Research backed treatments for Depression and Anxiety...

20. Introduction to Medical Software

coursera

In this class, we present a broad overview of the field of medical software. You will learn from Yale professors and a series of industry experts who connect the course concepts to their real world applications. We begin by discussing medical device regulatory structures, data privacy and cybersecurity regulations, and key support technologies such quality management systems and risk management. We then take a detailed look at the medical software life cycle, starting with identifying user...

Top 10 most affordable universities for medical health researchers

The most affordable schools for medical health researchers are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for medical health researchers 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 medical health researchers.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

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 medical health researchers

The hardest universities for medical health researchers to get into are Duke University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for medical health researchers 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 medical health researchers 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

7. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

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 medical health researchers

The easiest schools for medical health researchers 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 medical health researcher 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 medical health researchers.

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. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

9. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average medical health researcher salary by education level

According to our data, medical health researchers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $63,023 annually. Medical health researchers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $57,347.
Medical health researcher education levelMedical health researcher salary
Master's Degree$57,347
Bachelor's Degree$55,207
Doctorate Degree$63,023

Medical health researcher education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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