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Principal biostatistician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a principal biostatistician. Principal biostatisticians usually study statistics, biostatistics, or mathematics. 33% of principal biostatisticians hold a doctoral degree, and 33% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 27 real principal biostatistician resumes to see exactly what principal biostatistician education sections show.

The most common colleges for principal biostatisticians are the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities and the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

There are also many online principal biostatistician courses to help get the education required to be a principal biostatistician.

What education do you need to become a principal biostatistician?

What degree do you need to be a principal biostatistician?

The most common degree for principal biostatisticians is doctoral degree, with 33% of principal biostatisticians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 33% and bachelor's degree degree at 33%.
  • Doctorate, 33%
  • Bachelor's, 33%
  • Master's, 33%

What should I major in to become a principal biostatistician?

You should major in statistics to become a principal biostatistician. 36% of principal biostatisticians major in statistics. Other common majors for a principal biostatistician include biostatistics and mathematics.

Most common colleges for principal biostatisticians

Principal biostatisticians often get their degrees at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, University of Kentucky, and Grace College and Seminary. Here are the most common colleges for principal biostatisticians in the US based on their resumes.
Principal biostatistician common collegePercentages
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities13.33%
University of Kentucky6.67%
Grace College and Seminary6.67%
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center6.67%
Purdue University6.67%

Best majors for principal biostatisticians

RankMajorPercentages
1Statistics36.0%
2Biostatistics20.0%
3Mathematics16.0%
4Biology4.0%
5Genetics4.0%

Best colleges for principal biostatisticians

The best colleges for principal biostatisticians are Columbia University in the City of New York, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

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

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

20 best online courses for principal biostatisticians

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This course aims to help you to draw better statistical inferences from empirical research. First, we will discuss how to correctly interpret p-values, effect sizes, confidence intervals, Bayes Factors, and likelihood ratios, and how these statistics answer different questions you might be interested in. Then, you will learn how to design experiments where the false positive rate is controlled, and how to decide upon the sample size for your study, for example in order to achieve high...

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19. Research Methods and Statistics: An Introduction (2023 Ed.)

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A Primer in Research Methodology and Statistics in the Social Sciences (2023 Edition)...

20. Foundation of Statistics with Minitab

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Introducion to Descriptive and Inferential Statistics using the Minitab software...

Top 10 most affordable universities for principal biostatisticians

The most affordable schools for principal biostatisticians are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for principal biostatisticians 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 principal biostatisticians.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for principal biostatisticians

The hardest universities for principal biostatisticians to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for principal biostatisticians 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 principal biostatisticians 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

6. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for principal biostatisticians

The easiest schools for principal biostatisticians to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, felician university, and university of houston - downtown.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a principal biostatistician 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 principal biostatisticians.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

3. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

6. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

7. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

Average principal biostatistician salary by education level

According to our data, principal biostatisticians with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $156,599 annually. Principal biostatisticians with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $130,401.
Principal biostatistician education levelPrincipal biostatistician salary
Master's Degree$130,401
Bachelor's Degree$113,379
Doctorate Degree$156,599

Principal biostatistician 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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