Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Professional research assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a professional research assistant. Professional research assistants usually study biology, business, or psychology. 63% of professional research assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,194 real professional research assistant resumes to see exactly what professional research assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for professional research assistants are the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Colorado at Boulder.
There are also many online professional research assistant courses to help get the education required to be a professional research assistant.
There are certain professional research assistant certifications that you should consider. These professional research assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP).
What education do you need to become a professional research assistant?
What degree do you need to be a professional research assistant?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a professional research assistant?
- Biology, 19%
- Business, 15%
- Psychology, 13%
- Chemistry, 6%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for professional research assistants
| Professional research assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Colorado at Boulder | 24.62% |
| University of Denver | 12.92% |
| University of Colorado at Colorado Springs | 11.69% |
| Colorado State University | 11.69% |
| University of Georgia | 5.23% |
Best majors for professional research assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 18.6% |
| 2 | Business | 15.1% |
| 3 | Psychology | 13.1% |
| 4 | Chemistry | 6.0% |
| 5 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 5.3% |
Best colleges for professional research assistants
The best colleges for professional research assistants are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.
A professional research assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for professional research assistants. 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 professional research assistants.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for professional research assistants
Advertising disclosure
1. Market Research
The Market Research Specialisation focuses on the essentials of research and the research process. This Specialisation will teach you how to use qualitative and quantitative research methods, how to develop and manage a questionnaire development strategy, how to develop measurements, how to collect data and how to analyze and present them.\n\nOnce you have completed this Specialisation, you will have a good understanding of market research including:\n\nEssentials of market research Components...
2. How to Visualize Research Data in Tableau
Publishing research often requires the preparation of visual elements like charts, tables, and graphs to better explain the text in a research report. Creating these elements can be done easily and effectively in Tableau. Using Tableau, large and small data sets can be visualized with precision, creativity, interactivity, and options in Tableau. After taking this course learners will know how to create a table, a geovisualization, and a pie chart. Three of the most common research...
3. Data Entry Course for Beginners
Learn from a Successful Data Entry Professional!...
4. Research Methodology: Complete Research Project Blueprint
Research Methodology From A-Z. A Step-by-Step Guide Through Research Design, Data Collection, Analysis, & Interpretation...
5. Psychological Research
This specialization is primarily aimed at first- and second-year undergraduates interested in psychology, data analysis, ethics in research, and quantitative research methods along with high school students and professionals with similar interests.\n\nLearners will develop knowledge about the fundamentals of research design for quantitative studies in psychology, analysis of data from quantitative studies in psychology, and ethical standards for conducting psychological research. Learning...
6. Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics
If you’ve ever skipped over the results section of a medical paper because terms like “confidence interval” or “p-value” go over your head, then you’re in the right place. You may be a clinical practitioner reading research articles to keep up-to-date with developments in your field or a medical student wondering how to approach your own research. Greater confidence in understanding statistical analysis and the results can benefit both working professionals and those undertaking research...
7. Complete Data Entry Skills Course - Learn Data Entry Skills
Learn Essential Data Entry Skills Now To Enhance Your Career -Word - Excel - Database - Data Entry Jobs...
8. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales
How to Process Survey Data and Analyze Likert Scales In SPSS...
9. Data Science for Health Research
In Data Science for Health Research, learn to organize and visualize health data using statistical analysis in programs like R. Explore how to translate data, interpret statistical models, and predict outcomes to help make data-informed decisions within the public health field...
10. Research Methodology
Academic Research Business Research Thesis & Dissertation Report Research Paper / Journal...
11. Data Science for Professionals
It's time to leave spreadsheets behind.....
12. Fundamentals of Data Analysis for Big Data
This course prepares participants to begin running data analysis on databases...
13. Qualitative Data Analysis using MAXQDA: Scratch to Advanced
Master Qualitative Research Method, Content Analysis, Grounded Theory, Thematic Analysis and more with MAXQDA Analytics...
14. Statistics / Data Analysis in SPSS: Inferential Statistics
Increase Your Data Analytic Skills – Highly Valued And Sought After By Employers...
15. Complete Data Wrangling & Data Visualisation With Python
Learn to Preprocess, Wrangle and Visualise Data For Practical Data Science Applications in Python...
16. Market Research: A-Z Fundamentals with Case Studies
Learn Market Sizing & Forecasting, Survey Design, Customer & Competitor Analysis to become a PRO Market Research Analyst...
17. Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Practice Tests
Pass the Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Exam...
18. Virtual Assistant Training, a Complete Guide: Work From Home
Rock Star Virtual Assistant Training: Create an online business + become a freelancing virtual professional in any field...
19. Data Entry Skills: A Complete Data Entry Course from Scratch
A Complete Guide to Data Entry Skills: Learn Data Entry Skills and become a Data Entry Pro & Get a Online Data Entry Job...
20. GCP - Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Certification
Learn Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Certification with 80+ Hands-on demo on storage, Database, ML GCP Services...
Top 10 most affordable universities for professional research assistants
The most affordable schools for professional research assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for professional research assistants 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 professional research assistants.
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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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 professional research assistants
The hardest universities for professional research assistants to get into are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for professional research assistants 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 professional research assistants 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for professional research assistants
The easiest schools for professional research assistants to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, felician university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a professional research assistant 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 professional research assistants.
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. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
6. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
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. American International College
Springfield, MA • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
1,010
Average professional research assistant salary by education level
| Professional research assistant education level | Professional research assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $68,455 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $56,430 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $58,904 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $61,670 |
Professional research assistant education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
Search for professional research assistant jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025