Post job

Quality assurance associate education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a quality assurance associate. Quality assurance associates usually study accounting, business, or biology. 62% of quality assurance associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 6,337 real quality assurance associate resumes to see exactly what quality assurance associate education sections show.

The most common colleges for quality assurance associates are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online quality assurance associate courses to help get the education required to be a quality assurance associate.

There are certain quality assurance associate certifications that you should consider. These quality assurance associate certifications include Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and Certified Quality Auditor (CQA).

What education do you need to become a quality assurance associate?

What degree do you need to be a quality assurance associate?

The most common degree for quality assurance associates is bachelor's degree, with 62% of quality assurance associates earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 62%
  • Master's, 14%
  • Associate, 11%
  • High School Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a quality assurance associate?

You should major in accounting to become a quality assurance associate. 29% of quality assurance associates major in accounting. Other common majors for a quality assurance associate include business and biology.

Most common colleges for quality assurance associates

Quality assurance associates often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of California - Davis, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Here are the most common colleges for quality assurance associates in the US based on their resumes.
Quality assurance associate common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix10.33%
University of California - Davis8.68%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey6.40%
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus6.20%
Northeastern University5.37%

Best majors for quality assurance associates

RankMajorPercentages
1Accounting29.1%
2Business19.7%
3Biology11.6%
4Chemistry5.3%
5Pharmacy4.2%

Best colleges for quality assurance associates

The best colleges for quality assurance associates are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

A quality assurance associate with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for quality assurance associates. 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 quality assurance associates.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

20 best online courses for quality assurance associates

Advertising disclosure

1. Software Engineering Immersive (Full-time)

general_assembly

Meet the global demand for technical problem-solvers by developing your coding skills to create full-stack web applications across multiple frameworks, incorporating functionality from third-party APIs, executing software engineering projects in an Agile development workflow, and more...

2. Intro to Coding

general_assembly

Discover if coding is a career fit for you In this free, two-hour livestream, explore the building blocks of the web — HTML and CSS — and learn how you can apply these programming languages to develop your own simple sites. All in real time, taught by an industry professional. Come learn the basics and gain the skills you need to write your first line of code!...

3. Full Stack Web Developer

udacity

Design and develop modern web applications.Students will also learn how to deploy a Flask-based web application to the cloud using Docker and Kubernetes...

4. Agile Software Development

udacity

Learn best practices for using the Agile methodology to build better products faster and more efficiently...

5. Information Systems Auditing, Controls and Assurance

coursera

The course is awarded The Best Free Online Courses of All Time, and Best Online Courses of the Year (2021 Edition) by Class Central (http://www.classcentral.com). --- Information systems (IS) are important assets to business organizations and are ubiquitous in our daily lives. With the latest IS technologies emerging, such as Big Data, FinTech, Virtual Banks, there are more concerns from the public on how organizations maintain systems’ integrity, such as data privacy, information security, the...

6. Clinical Trials Data Management and Quality Assurance

coursera

In this course, you’ll learn to collect and care for the data gathered during your trial and how to prevent mistakes and errors through quality assurance practices. Clinical trials generate an enormous amount of data, so you and your team must plan carefully by choosing the right collection instruments, systems, and measures to protect the integrity of your trial data. You’ll learn how to assemble, clean, and de-identify your datasets. Finally, you’ll learn to find and correct deficiencies...

7. Quality Assurance Mastery - Manual Software Testing

udemy
4.5
(1,322)

Become Quality Assurance Engineer as a Complete Beginner. QA Masterclass for Junior QA Engineers...

8. Certified Quality Process Analyst Training

udemy
4.3
(311)

Certified Quality Process Analyst (CQPA) Exam Preparation Course - Confidently Pass the Exam on the First Attempt...

9. Full Stack JavaScript Developer

udacity

Meet the growing demand for full stack developers and learn to build rich web experiences using a modern architecture and technology stack...

10. Cloud Developer using Microsoft Azure

udacity

The Developer for Microsoft Azure Nanodegree program teaches students how to deploy, build, migrate, and monitor applications on Azure, thereby preparing learners for success on Microsoft’s AZ-204 Azure Developer Associate Expert certification...

11. ISO 9001:2015-Quality Management System Implementation & Audit

udemy
4.2
(707)

Learn how to Implement and Audit a Quality Management System as per ISO 9001: 2015...

12. ISO 9001:2015 Quality management system auditor

udemy
4.5
(7,832)

Upgrade your career by learning how to implement and audit a quality management system according to ISO 9001...

13. Intermediate Python

udacity

Gain practitioner-level skills with Python and learn the language powering transformation in Data Science, Machine Learning, and beyond...

14. Certified Quality Auditor Training

udemy
4.6
(1,013)

Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) Exam Preparation Course - Confidently pass the exam in the first attempt...

15. Quality Management Systems:Management and Control of Quality

udemy
4.5
(985)

Learn to Build, Implement, and Sustain a Performance Excellence Culture into Your Organisation...

16. Internal Controls - Design, Implementation and Monitoring

udemy
4.4
(1,188)

Become a compliance specialist, maintain strong internal controls for SOX or FCPA, prepare for internal & external audit...

17. Quality Systems, Models and Theories

udemy
4.1
(251)

Understand, Develop and Implement Quality Systems for Success and Profit...

18. The Complete Quality Assurance Course- Learn QA from Scratch

udemy
4.4
(1,157)

Learn QA Software Testing both Manual and Automation. Become Developer in Test and Kick-start your Career in IT...

19. Quality Management for Business Excellence

udemy
4.5
(3,592)

Lead Quality Management in the Organization • Transform the Organization to Become the Best-in-Class...

20. Certified Quality Engineer Training [2022]

udemy
4.6
(1,829)

Comprehensive Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) Exam Preparation Course (2022 Body of Knowledge)...

Top 10 most affordable universities for quality assurance associates

The most affordable schools for quality assurance associates are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for quality assurance associates 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 quality assurance associates.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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 - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for quality assurance associates

The hardest universities for quality assurance associates to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

Some great schools for quality assurance associates 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 quality assurance associates 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for quality assurance associates

The easiest schools for quality assurance associates to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a quality assurance associate 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 quality assurance associates.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average quality assurance associate salary by education level

Quality assurance associates with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $71,706 annually. With a Master's degree, quality assurance associates earn a median annual income of $71,333 compared to $64,551 for quality assurance associates with an Bachelor's degree.
Quality assurance associate education levelQuality assurance associate salary
Master's Degree$71,333
Bachelor's Degree$64,551
Doctorate Degree$71,706
Some College/ Associate Degree$54,836

Quality assurance associate education FAQs

Search for quality assurance associate jobs

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.

Browse computer and mathematical jobs