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Plant pathologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a plant pathologist. Plant pathologists usually study botany, plant sciences, or biology. 46% of plant pathologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 62 real plant pathologist resumes to see exactly what plant pathologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for plant pathologists are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.
There are also many online plant pathologist courses to help get the education required to be a plant pathologist.
What education do you need to become a plant pathologist?
What degree do you need to be a plant pathologist?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Doctorate, 22%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 11%
What should I major in to become a plant pathologist?
- Botany, 29%
- Plant Sciences, 19%
- Biology, 7%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for plant pathologists
| Plant pathologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Florida | 8.33% |
| Colorado State University | 8.33% |
| Oklahoma State University | 8.33% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 8.33% |
| Western Washington University | 4.17% |
Best majors for plant pathologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Botany | 28.6% |
| 2 | Plant Sciences | 19.0% |
| 3 | Biology | 7.1% |
| 4 | Environmental Science | 4.8% |
| 5 | Microbiology | 4.8% |
Best colleges for plant pathologists
The best colleges for plant pathologists are Cornell University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of California, Berkeley.
A plant pathologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for plant pathologists. 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 plant pathologists.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
3. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
4. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
6. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
7. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$11,870
Enrollment
53,194
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
9. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
20 best online courses for plant pathologists
Advertising disclosure
1. Plant Bioinformatics Capstone
The past 15 years have been exciting ones in plant biology. Hundreds of plant genomes have been sequenced, RNA-seq has enabled transcriptome-wide expression profiling, and a proliferation of "-seq"-based methods has permitted protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions to be determined cheaply and in a high-throughput manner. These data sets in turn allow us to generate hypotheses at the click of a mouse or tap of a finger. In Plant Bioinformatics on Coursera.org, we covered 33 plant-specific...
2. Plant Bioinformatics
The past 15 years have been exciting ones in plant biology. Hundreds of plant genomes have been sequenced, RNA-seq has enabled transcriptome-wide expression profiling, and a proliferation of "-seq"-based methods has permitted protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions to be determined cheaply and in a high-throughput manner. These data sets in turn allow us to generate hypotheses at the click of a mouse. For instance, knowing where and when a gene is expressed can help us narrow down the...
3. SAP Plant Maintenance(PM) Module Online Classes
Functional Module SAP Plant Maintenance(PM) with Configuration...
4. Herbalism:: Growing Top Medicinal Plants Certificate
Growing your own herbal medicine is easy and allows you to have quick access to medicinal plants when you need them...
5. Plant Bioinformatic Methods
The past 15 years have been exciting ones in plant biology. Hundreds of plant genomes have been sequenced, RNA-seq has enabled transcriptome-wide expression profiling, and a proliferation of "-seq"-based methods has permitted protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions to be determined cheaply and in a high-throughput manner. These data sets in turn allow us to generate hypotheses at the click of a mouse or tap of a finger.The Plant Bioinformatics Specialization on Coursera introduces core...
6. Understanding Plants - Part I: What a Plant Knows
For centuries we have collectively marveled at plant diversity and form—from Charles Darwin’s early fascination with stems and flowers to Seymour Krelborn’s distorted doting in Little Shop of Horrors. This course intends to present an intriguing and scientifically valid look at how plants themselves experience the world—from the colors they see to the sensations they feel. Highlighting the latest research in genetics and more, we will delve into the inner lives of plants and draw parallels with...
7. Real World SAP - Plant Maintenance Orders and Notifications
Learn SAP PM / EAM with a focus on real world scenarios...
8. Cook Real Food: How to Make Simple Plant-Based Meals
Learn how to cook whole plant foods to make quick, easy, and healthy vegan meals for practical everyday eating...
9. Curanderismo: Traditional Healing Using Plants
COURSE DESCRIPTION As one of four courses on Curanderismo, the art of Hispanic/Latino traditional medicine, this course focuses specifically on the use of plants in traditional healing. As an educational and cultural platform, this course will share the history, influences, and contributions of traditional medicine. Trained traditional healers will share their knowledge of the healing properties of plants commonly found in the Southwestern United States and Mexico through practical applications...
10. Extracellular Vesicles in Health and Disease
This course aims to provide current understanding about extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their role in health and diseases. The EVs are known to be involved in cell to cell communication. Apart from maintaining normal cell physiology, EVs deliver messages that can drive or influence the progression of a disease. This course discusses recent advances made in the field to give an introduction on their function in health as well as in disease.This course includes four modules. Module 1 is an...
11. Herbalism:: Identify & Harvest Medicinal Plants Certificate
Identify, harvest and use easy to find herbs from the wild that are commonly used in herbal, holistic, natural medicine...
12. Herbalism:: Wild Edible Plants for High Nutrition
Identify and forage common wild foods for exceptional nutrition. This is essential for holistic and natural medicine...
13. Global Disease Masterclass
The Global Disease Masterclass specialisation aims to provide students with an overview of core health challenges and lines of epidemiological research being undertaken, across a range of infectious and non-communicable diseases.\n\nThe specialisation begins by examining the global distribution of diseases and the major trends that we have seen in the last several decades. Simultaneously, we consider the data that are used to construct such estimates. We then consider the role of social...
14. Eat Real Food: How to Eat a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet
Learn how to be a healthy vegan or vegetarian in a holistic way for best health, weight, and wellbeing...
15. How to Read P & ID, PFD & BFD used in Process Plant like Pro
Learn How to Read Piping and Instrument Diagram-P & ID, Process Flow Diagram and Block Flow Diagram used in Process Plant...
16. Vegan Nutrition: Build Your Plant Based Diet & Meal Plan
Learn How To Set Up A Vegan Diet For Weight Loss, Building Muscle, Healthy Eating, Meal Planning & Vegan Bodybuilding...
17. Accredited Holistic Herbalism Diploma Course Herbal Medicine
Walk the path of the Herbalists of old, learn plant astrology, sacred earth festivals, plant lore, plant consciousness...
18. The Beginner's Guide to Vegetable Gardening
Learn where, when and what to plant in your backyard garden...
19. Accredited Holistic Herbalist Diploma Course
Herbalism from a Whole-istic perspective, herbal lore,sacred Earth Festivals,astrology,plant emortions & consciousness...
20. Financial modeling Renewable Energy: Solar & Wind
Learn how build a financial model for solar plants and wind plants, and help seal renewable energy deals worldwide!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for plant pathologists
The most affordable schools for plant pathologists are University of Florida, university of puerto rico - mayaguez, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for plant pathologists 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 plant pathologists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$6,686
Cost of attendance
17,885
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce
Mercedita, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,914
Cost of attendance
13,564
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for plant pathologists
The hardest universities for plant pathologists to get into are Cornell University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of California, Berkeley.
Some great schools for plant pathologists 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 plant pathologists 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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
2. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
3. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
7. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
8. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
1,365
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for plant pathologists
The easiest schools for plant pathologists to get into are North Dakota State University, washington state university, and south dakota state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a plant pathologist 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 plant pathologists.
1. North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,170
2. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
3. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
4. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
5. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
6. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
7. Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
79%
SAT average
1,075
8. University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,202
9. Virginia State University
Petersburg, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
933
10. Clarke University
Dubuque, IA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,058
Average plant pathologist salary by education level
| Plant pathologist education level | Plant pathologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $87,206 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $77,058 |
Plant pathologist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025