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Principal research economist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a principal research economist. Principal research economists usually study economics, chemistry, or psychology. 56% of principal research economists hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 385 real principal research economist resumes to see exactly what principal research economist education sections show.
The most common colleges for principal research economists are the University of Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati.
There are also many online principal research economist courses to help get the education required to be a principal research economist.
What education do you need to become a principal research economist?
What degree do you need to be a principal research economist?
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Master's, 26%
- Doctorate, 11%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a principal research economist?
- Economics, 18%
- Chemistry, 12%
- Psychology, 11%
- Biology, 8%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for principal research economists
| Principal research economist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Cincinnati | 10.00% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 6.67% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 6.67% |
| Florida State University | 6.67% |
| University of Connecticut | 5.00% |
Best majors for principal research economists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Economics | 17.7% |
| 2 | Chemistry | 11.6% |
| 3 | Psychology | 10.6% |
| 4 | Biology | 8.1% |
| 5 | Business | 7.6% |
Best colleges for principal research economists
The best colleges for principal research economists are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A principal research economist 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 research economists. 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 research economists.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$50,340
Enrollment
5,301
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
8. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$58,230
Enrollment
6,600
9. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for principal research economists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for principal research economists
The most affordable schools for principal research economists are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for principal research economists 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 research economists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for principal research economists
The hardest universities for principal research economists to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for principal research economists 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 research economists 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,503
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for principal research economists
The easiest schools for principal research economists to get into are Kean University, william paterson university of new jersey, and rutgers, the state university of new jersey - camden.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a principal research economist 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 research economists.
1. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
2. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
3. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
4. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
7. Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,026
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average principal research economist salary by education level
| Principal research economist education level | Principal research economist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $89,777 |
| Doctorate Degree | $113,227 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025