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Plastic surgeon education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a plastic surgeon. Plastic surgeons usually study nursing, medicine, or business. 34% of plastic surgeons hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 440 real plastic surgeon resumes to see exactly what plastic surgeon education sections show.
The most common colleges for plastic surgeons are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online plastic surgeon courses to help get the education required to be a plastic surgeon.
There are certain plastic surgeon certifications that you should consider. These plastic surgeon certifications include Certification in Plastic Surgery and Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.
What education do you need to become a plastic surgeon?
What degree do you need to be a plastic surgeon?
- Bachelor's, 34%
- Associate, 20%
- Master's, 9%
- Doctorate, 9%
- Other Degrees, 28%
What should I major in to become a plastic surgeon?
Most common colleges for plastic surgeons
| Plastic surgeon common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.52% |
| University of Florida | 7.14% |
| Fisher College | 7.14% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.14% |
| The New School | 4.76% |
Best majors for plastic surgeons
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 24.7% |
| 2 | Medicine | 8.7% |
| 3 | Business | 8.0% |
| 4 | Medical Assisting Services | 6.7% |
| 5 | Health Care Administration | 6.0% |
Best colleges for plastic surgeons
The best colleges for plastic surgeons are Case Western Reserve University, University of Virginia, and New York University.
A plastic 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 plastic 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 plastic surgeons.
1. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$49,042
Enrollment
5,131
2. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
3. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
4. Wayne State University
Detroit, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$13,097
Enrollment
17,114
5. University of Akron
Akron, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,463
Enrollment
13,676
6. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
7. Kettering College
Kettering, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$12,960
Enrollment
610
8. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. Maria College of Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$15,140
Enrollment
876
20 best online courses for plastic surgeons
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Top 10 most affordable universities for plastic surgeons
The most affordable schools for plastic surgeons are SUNY Farmingdale, purdue university, and louisiana state university at alexandria.
If the best universities for plastic 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 plastic surgeons.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
3. Louisiana State University at Alexandria
Alexandria, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,668
Cost of attendance
14,488
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$9,233
Cost of attendance
18,110
7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Cost of attendance
13,476
8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce
Mercedita, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,914
Cost of attendance
13,564
9. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
In-state tuition
$9,283
Cost of attendance
22,243
10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for plastic surgeons
The hardest universities for plastic surgeons to get into are Case Western Reserve University, University of Virginia, and New York University.
Some great schools for plastic 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 plastic 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. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
2. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
7. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,367
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,269
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for plastic surgeons
The easiest schools for plastic surgeons to get into are AdventHealth University, university of the incarnate word, and pennsylvania state university - shenango.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a plastic 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 plastic surgeons.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. Pennsylvania State University - Shenango
Sharon, PA • Private
Admissions rate
75%
SAT average
989
4. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
7. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
8. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. Methodist College
Peoria, IL • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,015
Average plastic surgeon salary by education level
| Plastic surgeon education level | Plastic surgeon salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $179,396 |
Plastic surgeon education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025