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Medical science liaison education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a medical science liaison. Medical science liaisons usually study nursing, pharmacy, or business. 52% of medical science liaisons hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 2,179 real medical science liaison resumes to see exactly what medical science liaison education sections show.
The most common colleges for medical science liaisons are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online medical science liaison courses to help get the education required to be a medical science liaison.
There are certain medical science liaison certifications that you should consider. These medical science liaison certifications include Internal Medicine and Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP).
What education do you need to become a medical science liaison?
What degree do you need to be a medical science liaison?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Doctorate, 18%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 10%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a medical science liaison?
Most common colleges for medical science liaisons
| Medical science liaison common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 7.77% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 7.25% |
| Ohio State University | 7.25% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 6.74% |
| University of California - Davis | 5.70% |
Best majors for medical science liaisons
Best colleges for medical science liaisons
The best colleges for medical science liaisons are Duke University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
A medical science liaison 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 science liaisons. 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 science liaisons.
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. 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for medical science liaisons
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10. A Specialty Approach to Learning Medical Billing and Coding
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11. EU Medical Device Regulatory Affairs explained Simply
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12. Understanding Medications and Therapeutics
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17. ISO 13485 Demystified - Medical Devices' QMS 360° Insights
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20. Medical Devices Quality Management System - ISO 13485:2016
Awareness and Application for the requirements of ISO 13485:2016 for Medical Device Development and QMS...
Top 10 most affordable universities for medical science liaisons
The most affordable schools for medical science liaisons 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 science liaisons 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 science liaisons.
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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
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 science liaisons
The hardest universities for medical science liaisons to get into are Duke University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for medical science liaisons 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 science liaisons 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
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 medical science liaisons
The easiest schools for medical science liaisons 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 science liaison 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 science liaisons.
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 science liaison salary by education level
| Medical science liaison education level | Medical science liaison salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $134,895 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $128,327 |
| Doctorate Degree | $152,689 |
Medical science liaison education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025