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Pediatric surgeon education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a pediatric surgeon. Pediatric surgeons usually study nursing, business, or medicine. 31% of pediatric surgeons hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 47 real pediatric surgeon resumes to see exactly what pediatric surgeon education sections show.

The most common colleges for pediatric surgeons are the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

There are also many online pediatric surgeon courses to help get the education required to be a pediatric surgeon.

What education do you need to become a pediatric surgeon?

What degree do you need to be a pediatric surgeon?

The most common degree for pediatric surgeons is bachelor's degree, with 31% of pediatric surgeons earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 19% and doctoral degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 31%
  • Doctorate, 19%
  • Associate, 12%
  • Diploma, 12%
  • Other Degrees, 26%

What should I major in to become a pediatric surgeon?

You should major in nursing to become a pediatric surgeon. 17% of pediatric surgeons major in nursing. Other common majors for a pediatric surgeon include business and medicine.

Most common colleges for pediatric surgeons

Pediatric surgeons often get their degrees at University of Alabama at Birmingham, Roger Williams University, and Boston University. Here are the most common colleges for pediatric surgeons in the US based on their resumes.
Pediatric surgeon common collegePercentages
University of Alabama at Birmingham12.50%
Roger Williams University12.50%
Boston University12.50%
Nova Southeastern University12.50%
St. Lawrence University12.50%

Best majors for pediatric surgeons

RankMajorPercentages
1Nursing17.4%
2Business8.7%
3Medicine8.7%
4Education8.7%
5Health Care Administration8.7%

Best colleges for pediatric surgeons

The best colleges for pediatric surgeons are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A pediatric surgeon with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for pediatric surgeons. 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 pediatric surgeons.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for pediatric surgeons

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5. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

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Top 10 most affordable universities for pediatric surgeons

The most affordable schools for pediatric surgeons are California State University - Bakersfield, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for pediatric surgeons 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 pediatric surgeons.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

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 pediatric surgeons

The hardest universities for pediatric surgeons to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for pediatric surgeons 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 pediatric surgeons 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for pediatric surgeons

The easiest schools for pediatric surgeons to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a pediatric surgeon 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 pediatric surgeons.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

10. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

Average pediatric surgeon salary by education level

Pediatric surgeon education levelPediatric surgeon salary
Doctorate Degree$434,896

Pediatric surgeon 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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