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Product development scientist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a product development scientist. Product development scientists usually study chemistry, biology, or food science. 66% of product development scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 574 real product development scientist resumes to see exactly what product development scientist education sections show.
The most common colleges for product development scientists are the University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin Colleges.
There are also many online product development scientist courses to help get the education required to be a product development scientist.
What education do you need to become a product development scientist?
What degree do you need to be a product development scientist?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 22%
- Doctorate, 8%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become a product development scientist?
- Chemistry, 23%
- Biology, 14%
- Food Science, 14%
- Chemical Engineering, 10%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for product development scientists
| Product development scientist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 9.48% |
| University of California - Davis | 8.62% |
| Purdue University | 6.90% |
| Long Island University | 6.03% |
| Kansas State University | 6.03% |
Best majors for product development scientists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemistry | 23.0% |
| 2 | Biology | 14.1% |
| 3 | Food Science | 14.1% |
| 4 | Chemical Engineering | 9.8% |
| 5 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 9.8% |
Best colleges for product development scientists
The best colleges for product development scientists are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.
A product development scientist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for product development scientists. 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 product development scientists.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for product development scientists
Advertising disclosure
1. Strategic Product Development
This course discusses how companies create new products that customers want while achieving their financial objectives. Learners begin by defining the product strategies necessary to ensure a company’s long-term growth. Learners then explore the different product development processes used by high-tech businesses today, such as Stage-Gate and Lean/Agile techniques. Learners conclude by illustrating the tools to build the high-performance teams that take the development process from concept...
2. Drug Development Product Management
Pharmaceutical and biotech companies are spending years and millions of dollars developing drugs or promising new biologics, all with the hopes of saving or enhancing patients’ lives. This specialization will provide you with a 30,000 feet view of the entire process of drug discovery and development. In the first course you will begin with learning how scientists go from selecting a drug discovery target to filing an Initial New Drug application. In the second course you will learn the...
3. Product Development & Systems Engineering
The complete Product Development & Systems Engineering course! Earn 25 contact hours AND prepare to take the INCOSE Exam...
4. 50 Personal Development And Personal Productivity Skills
Personal transformation to be a top-1% performer! Personal development, business productivity, and personal productivity...
5. Product Management Crash Course; IT Product Management
Product Management Essentials & Product Management Fundamentals to kick-start your career in Product Management...
6. Comprehensive Product management for Product managers
Become a great product manager with comprehensive product management Real world case study with JIRA & Confluence...
7. Great Product Manager: Product Management by a Big Tech's PM
Become a Great Product Manager! Land your dream job with Big Tech's Senior Product Manager...
8. Product Management 101
Learn to become a more strategic product manager - and have a greater impact on your company and your products...
9. Mechanical design and Product development process
Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...
10. Project/ Product Management Frameworks & Methods MasterClass
Learn the top Product Managers skills - Lean, Agile, Design Thinking, JTBD, SMART, HEART, DACI, SPADE, CIRCLES and more...
11. The Product Management for AI & Data Science Course
The Complete Course for Becoming a Successful Product Manager in the Field of AI & Data Science...
12. Product Management Fundamentals
Case-based practical course on product management to build strong foundations in product concepts, process & frameworks...
13. Product Management Marketing: Dekker's Product Marketing MBA
Be a Product Marketing Manager - Product Management : Product Manager MBA : Product to Market : Product Owner Launch GTM...
14. Improving software development productivity
Improving software development productivity. Practical techniques...
15. Introduction Agile & Scrum for Product Owners
[UNOFFICIAL] Learn about agility & Scrum. Prepare for your Project Manager or Product Owner certification in 2023!...
16. Manufacturing Guide for Mechanical Product Development
Learn how everyday physical products are manufactured with no prior experience in engineering...
17. Product Management: Mastering Product Roadmaps 2023
A complete guide to building a roadmap that works for both your product team and your stakeholders...
18. Product Management+Agile Requirements using Product Backlog
Learn to manage requirements as professional scrum product owner using user stories ( Business Analysis ,Scrum Master)...
19. Product Management for Maximum Impact
Product Management Videos, Insights, Success Metrics...
20. Product Management Certification+Agile Product Owner+Scrum
Overview of Agile product management+Online Certification PSPO I Certification Tips for Scrum Product Owner+User Stories...
Top 10 most affordable universities for product development scientists
The most affordable schools for product development scientists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for product development scientists 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 product development scientists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for product development scientists
The hardest universities for product development scientists to get into are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.
Some great schools for product development scientists 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 product development scientists 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for product development scientists
The easiest schools for product development scientists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, d'youville college, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a product development scientist 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 product development scientists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average product development scientist salary by education level
| Product development scientist education level | Product development scientist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $82,632 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $81,248 |
| Doctorate Degree | $86,168 |
Product development scientist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025