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Polymer specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a polymer specialist. Polymer specialists usually study business, chemical engineering, or science, technology, and society. 53% of polymer specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 43 real polymer specialist resumes to see exactly what polymer specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for polymer specialists are the Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia Commonwealth University.

There are also many online polymer specialist courses to help get the education required to be a polymer specialist.

What education do you need to become a polymer specialist?

What degree do you need to be a polymer specialist?

The most common degree for polymer specialists is bachelor's degree, with 53% of polymer specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 23% and high school diploma degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 53%
  • High School Diploma, 23%
  • Associate, 13%
  • Master's, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a polymer specialist?

You should major in business to become a polymer specialist. 14% of polymer specialists major in business. Other common majors for a polymer specialist include chemical engineering and science, technology, and society.

Most common colleges for polymer specialists

Polymer specialists often get their degrees at Virginia Commonwealth University, Southern Wesleyan University, and Chowan University. Here are the most common colleges for polymer specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Polymer specialist common collegePercentages
Virginia Commonwealth University10.53%
Southern Wesleyan University10.53%
Chowan University5.26%
Charleston Southern University5.26%
Michigan State University5.26%

Best majors for polymer specialists

Best colleges for polymer specialists

The best colleges for polymer specialists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

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

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,880

Enrollment

6,590

9. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

20 best online courses for polymer specialists

Advertising disclosure

1. Hardening, Polymers, Properties

coursera

This course will introduce age hardening and how to use a phase diagram to identify an alloy that is eligible for age hardening. The key factors that affect nucleation and crystal growth will be investigated. In addition, an introduction to polymer science will be given. The key differences between thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers will be introduced. Strengthening mechanisms will be introduced. We explore what happens to the properties of a polymer as you increase or decrease the extent...

2. Fundamentals of Plastics and Polymers

udemy
4.4
(506)

Polymer chemistry, properties, processing, testing and applications...

3. The Operations Management Training Program

udemy
4.1
(748)

Learn how to design, plan, direct, and improve all the activities that transform resources into goods or services...

4. Operations Management: Inventory Management

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4
(301)

Operations Management Training Program (Course 4 of 8)...

5. Operational Risks Management ORM

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4.3
(1,174)

Operational Risks Management ORM Case Studies for Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, IS Security, Banking Professionals...

6. MBA: Supply Chain and Operation management

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4.5
(266)

Tactics, Tools, and Techniques required to become a Supply chain and operation manager...

7. Operations Management A-Z: Business Processes and Systems

udemy
4.6
(4,741)

Operations Management: Supply Chain & Business Processes in Industry for Manufacturing and Services Organizations...

8. SAP MM Materials Management (beginner to expert level)

udemy
4.3
(331)

Master SAP Materials Management module with practical implementation steps. Prepare and crack SAP MM Certification exam...

9. Operating Systems Final Part (4): File Systems & Threads

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4.6
(518)

Learn the concepts of Operating Systems from scratch as Operating System forms the core of Computer Science...

10. Inventory Management A-Z: Supply Chain & Business Operations

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4.6
(3,087)

Inventory Management Basics: MBA beginners course to your optimize your Purchasing, Logistics, EOQ and Safety Stock...

11. Operations Management in small businesses: key techniques

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4.4
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A toolkit for making small business operations effective and efficient...

12. Inventory Management: Safety Stock Calculation and Control

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4.6
(434)

Optimize your Supply Chain Safety Stock. Simple to Advanced Methods. Reduce Costs and Risk in your Business Operations...

13. Operations Management: Supply Chains, Products and Services

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4.3
(833)

Master Supply Chain Management and Product and Service Development in Manufacturing and Service Organizations...

14. Continuous Improvement Tools

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4.7
(662)

Essential Lean Tools and Techniques for Business Process Improvement, Operational Excellence, and Customer Satisfaction...

15. Operating Systems Part 3: Synchronization and Deadlock

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4.4
(684)

Learn the concepts of Operating Systems from scratch as Operating System forms the core of Computer Science...

16. Operations Management: Facilities Planning and Management

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4.4
(357)

Operations Management Training Program (Course 8 of 8)...

17. Operating Systems from scratch - Part 1

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4.5
(4,324)

Learn the concepts of Operating Systems from scratch as Operating System forms the core of Computer Science...

18. SAP HANA Installation, Operation and Administration

udemy
4.9
(1,296)

Learn how to setup a SAP HANA environment from scratch to operate, administer, manage a distributed landscape...

19. Lean Manufacturing A-Z: Lean Operations Management

udemy
4.6
(3,222)

Lean Business Operations Management, Lean Process and Systems Improvement in Production and Industry. MBA style course...

20. SAP MM (Materials Management) Consultant Level Course

udemy
4
(306)

Learn SAP Material Management module from scratch. Purchasing, Schema Determination, Material Master, Goods Receipt, etc...

Top 10 most affordable universities for polymer specialists

The most affordable schools for polymer specialists are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and florida state university.

If the best universities for polymer specialists 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 polymer specialists.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for polymer specialists

The hardest universities for polymer specialists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for polymer specialists 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 polymer specialists 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for polymer specialists

The easiest schools for polymer specialists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, texas a&m; university - kingsville, and lim college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a polymer specialist 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 polymer specialists.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

3. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

4. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

Average polymer specialist salary by education level

Polymer specialists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $95,297 annually. With a Master's degree, polymer specialists earn a median annual income of $75,173 compared to $61,204 for polymer specialists with an Bachelor's degree.
Polymer specialist education levelPolymer specialist salary
Master's Degree$75,173
Bachelor's Degree$61,204
Doctorate Degree$95,297

Polymer specialist 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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