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Medical researcher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a medical researcher. Medical researchers usually study biology, business, or medicine. 56% of medical researchers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 438 real medical researcher resumes to see exactly what medical researcher education sections show.
The most common colleges for medical researchers are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online medical researcher courses to help get the education required to be a medical researcher.
What education do you need to become a medical researcher?
What degree do you need to be a medical researcher?
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Master's, 13%
- Doctorate, 10%
- Associate, 9%
- Other Degrees, 12%
What should I major in to become a medical researcher?
Most common colleges for medical researchers
| Medical researcher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 9.84% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.20% |
| University of Florida | 6.56% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 4.92% |
| University of Iowa | 4.92% |
Best majors for medical researchers
Best colleges for medical researchers
The best colleges for medical researchers are Duke University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A medical 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 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 researchers.
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. 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for medical researchers
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19. Introduction to Medical Imaging
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Top 10 most affordable universities for medical researchers
The most affordable schools for medical 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 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 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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for medical researchers
The hardest universities for medical researchers to get into are Duke University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for medical 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 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for medical researchers
The easiest schools for medical researchers to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a medical 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 researchers.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
10. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
Average medical researcher salary by education level
| Medical researcher education level | Medical researcher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $58,365 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,615 |
| Doctorate Degree | $62,945 |
Medical researcher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025