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Principal investigator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a principal investigator. Principal investigators usually study psychology, biology, or chemistry. 53% of principal investigators hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,260 real principal investigator resumes to see exactly what principal investigator education sections show.
The most common colleges for principal investigators are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online principal investigator courses to help get the education required to be a principal investigator.
There are certain principal investigator certifications that you should consider. These principal investigator certifications include Clinical Research Assistant and Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP).
What education do you need to become a principal investigator?
What degree do you need to be a principal investigator?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Master's, 21%
- Doctorate, 20%
- Associate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a principal investigator?
- Psychology, 21%
- Biology, 13%
- Chemistry, 9%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for principal investigators
| Principal investigator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 9.76% |
| New York University | 7.92% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.65% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 6.33% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 6.07% |
Best majors for principal investigators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 21.0% |
| 2 | Biology | 12.6% |
| 3 | Chemistry | 9.1% |
| 4 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 6.2% |
| 5 | Medicine | 5.3% |
Best colleges for principal investigators
The best colleges for principal investigators are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A principal investigator 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 investigators. 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 investigators.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,391
Enrollment
23,063
9. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
10. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
20 best online courses for principal investigators
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Top 10 most affordable universities for principal investigators
The most affordable schools for principal investigators are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for principal investigators 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 investigators.
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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for principal investigators
The hardest universities for principal investigators to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for principal investigators 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 investigators 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
8. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
9. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
10. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for principal investigators
The easiest schools for principal investigators to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, d'youville college, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a principal investigator 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 investigators.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
Average principal investigator salary by education level
| Principal investigator education level | Principal investigator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $96,266 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $83,393 |
| Doctorate Degree | $106,465 |
Principal investigator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025