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Pediatrician/medical doctor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a pediatrician/medical doctor. Pediatrician/medical doctors usually study nursing, medicine, or biology. 50% of pediatrician/medical doctors hold a doctoral degree, and 25% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 18 real pediatrician/medical doctor resumes to see exactly what pediatrician/medical doctor education sections show.

The most common colleges for pediatrician/medical doctors are the Western Carolina University and the Western Carolina University.

There are also many online pediatrician/medical doctor courses to help get the education required to be a pediatrician/medical doctor.

What education do you need to become a pediatrician/medical doctor?

What degree do you need to be a pediatrician/medical doctor?

The most common degree for pediatrician/medical doctors is doctoral degree, with 50% of pediatrician/medical doctors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 25% and bachelor's degree degree at 6%.
  • Doctorate, 50%
  • Bachelor's, 25%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Associate, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 13%

What should I major in to become a pediatrician/medical doctor?

You should major in nursing to become a pediatrician/medical doctor. 21% of pediatrician/medical doctors major in nursing. Other common majors for a pediatrician/medical doctor include medicine and biology.

Most common colleges for pediatrician/medical doctors

Pediatrician/medical doctors often get their degrees at Western Carolina University, University of Miami, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for pediatrician/medical doctors in the US based on their resumes.
Pediatrician/medical doctor common collegePercentages
Western Carolina University16.67%
University of Miami16.67%
University of California, Santa Barbara16.67%
National University16.67%
University of Redlands16.67%

Best majors for pediatrician/medical doctors

RankMajorPercentages
1Nursing21.4%
2Medicine21.4%
3Biology7.1%
4Marketing7.1%
5Pharmacy7.1%

Best colleges for pediatrician/medical doctors

The best colleges for pediatrician/medical doctors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

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

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

5. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

6. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

10. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$14,974

Enrollment

35,656

20 best online courses for pediatrician/medical doctors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for pediatrician/medical doctors

The most affordable schools for pediatrician/medical doctors are University of Florida, florida international university, and florida state university.

If the best universities for pediatrician/medical doctors 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 pediatrician/medical doctors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

9. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

10. York College of the City University of New York

Jamaica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,158

Cost of attendance

14,204

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for pediatrician/medical doctors

The hardest universities for pediatrician/medical doctors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for pediatrician/medical doctors 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 pediatrician/medical doctors 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for pediatrician/medical doctors

The easiest schools for pediatrician/medical doctors to get into are D'Youville College, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a pediatrician/medical doctor 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 pediatrician/medical doctors.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

9. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

10. Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Weatherford, OK • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,085

Average pediatrician/medical doctor salary by education level

Pediatrician/medical doctor education levelPediatrician/medical doctor salary
Doctorate Degree$102,051

Pediatrician/medical doctor 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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