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Physical sciences instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a physical sciences instructor. Physical sciences instructors usually study biology, physics, or chemistry. 63% of physical sciences instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 211 real physical sciences instructor resumes to see exactly what physical sciences instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for physical sciences instructors are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.
There are also many online physical sciences instructor courses to help get the education required to be a physical sciences instructor.
What education do you need to become a physical sciences instructor?
What degree do you need to be a physical sciences instructor?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 24%
- Doctorate, 7%
- Associate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a physical sciences instructor?
Most common colleges for physical sciences instructors
| Physical sciences instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Florida | 13.46% |
| University of Georgia | 9.62% |
| University of Central Florida | 7.69% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.77% |
| Western Washington University | 5.77% |
Best majors for physical sciences instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 19.0% |
| 2 | Physics | 19.0% |
| 3 | Chemistry | 12.2% |
| 4 | Education | 8.8% |
| 5 | General Education, Specific Areas | 6.8% |
Best colleges for physical sciences instructors
The best colleges for physical sciences instructors are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A physical sciences instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for physical sciences instructors. 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 physical sciences instructors.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
20 best online courses for physical sciences instructors
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1. The Science of the Solar System
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Chemical biology is a burgeoning field that has rapidly risen to prominence. This surge of interest has been fuelled by chemical biology’s applicability to understanding critical processes in live cells or model organisms in real time. This success has arisen because chemical biology straddles a nexus between chemistry, biology, and physics. Thus, chemical biology can harness rapid chemistry to observe or perturb biological processes, that are in turn reported using physical assays, all in an...
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4. Complete General Chemistry 20+ hours of lectures & examples
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5. Philosophy and the Sciences: Introduction to the Philosophy of Physical Sciences
What is the origin of our universe? What are dark matter and dark energy? This is the first part of the course 'Philosophy and the Sciences', dedicated to Philosophy of the Physical Sciences. Scientific research across the physical sciences has raised pressing questions for philosophers. The goal of this course is to introduce you to some of the main areas and topics at the key juncture between philosophy and the physical sciences. Each week we will introduce you to some of these important...
6. Global Warming I: The Science and Modeling of Climate Change
This class describes the science of global warming and the forecast for humans’ impact on Earth’s climate. Intended for an audience without much scientific background but a healthy sense of curiosity, the class brings together insights and perspectives from physics, chemistry, biology, earth and atmospheric sciences, and even some economics—all based on a foundation of simple mathematics (algebra)...
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13. Chemistry 101 - Part 1 Principles of Chemistry
An introductory course for anybody who wants to study chemistry - either towards future pathways or just for fun!...
14. Data Science & Machine Learning(Theory+Projects)A-Z 90 HOURS
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15. Data Science with Python Complete Course
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16. The Complete Physics Course - Learn Science the easy way!
A course that's made for you to easily learn Physics! ....even for those that don't like Math & Science :)...
17. Organic Chemistry: Spectroscopy Master Class
Gain confidence in NMR (1H and 13C), IR, and MS with guided practice problems...
18. Introduction to Machine Learning for Data Science
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19. Math for Data Science Masterclass
Learn about probability, statistics, and more using the mathematics that are foundational to the field of data science...
20. Data Science Bootcamp 2022: 5 Data Science Projects
Data Science and Machine Learning Masterclass with Python with 5 Data Science Real World Projects...
Top 10 most affordable universities for physical sciences instructors
The most affordable schools for physical sciences instructors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for physical sciences instructors 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 physical sciences instructors.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for physical sciences instructors
The hardest universities for physical sciences instructors to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for physical sciences instructors 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 physical sciences instructors 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
10. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for physical sciences instructors
The easiest schools for physical sciences instructors to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a physical sciences instructor 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 physical sciences instructors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
5. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
6. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
7. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
8. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
9. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average physical sciences instructor salary by education level
| Physical sciences instructor education level | Physical sciences instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $82,925 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $66,482 |
| Doctorate Degree | $84,082 |
Physical sciences instructor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025