Post job

Quality control scientist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a quality control scientist. Quality control scientists usually study chemistry, biology, or biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology. 81% of quality control scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 840 real quality control scientist resumes to see exactly what quality control scientist education sections show.

The most common colleges for quality control scientists are the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus and the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus.

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

What education do you need to become a quality control scientist?

What degree do you need to be a quality control scientist?

The most common degree for quality control scientists is bachelor's degree, with 81% of quality control scientists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 3%.
  • Bachelor's, 81%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 3%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a quality control scientist?

You should major in chemistry to become a quality control scientist. 33% of quality control scientists major in chemistry. Other common majors for a quality control scientist include biology and biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology.

Most common colleges for quality control scientists

Quality control scientists often get their degrees at University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus, University of Massachusetts Boston, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Here are the most common colleges for quality control scientists in the US based on their resumes.
Quality control scientist common collegePercentages
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus10.14%
University of Massachusetts Boston8.70%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey7.25%
University of California, Santa Barbara7.25%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill5.80%

Best majors for quality control scientists

Best colleges for quality control scientists

The best colleges for quality control scientists are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.

A quality control 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 quality control 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 quality control scientists.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

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. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for quality control scientists

Advertising disclosure

1. Total Data Quality

coursera

This specialization aims to explore the Total Data Quality framework in depth and provide learners with more information about the detailed evaluation of total data quality that needs to happen prior to data analysis. The goal is for learners to incorporate evaluations of data quality into their process as a critical component for all projects. We sincerely hope to disseminate knowledge about total data quality to all learners, such as data scientists and quantitative analysts, who have not had...

2. Stability and Capability in Quality Improvement

coursera

In this course, you will learn to analyze data in terms of process stability and statistical control and why having a stable process is imperative prior to perform statistical hypothesis testing. You will create statistical process control charts for both continuous and discrete data using R software. You will analyze data sets for statistical control using control rules based on probability. Additionally, you will learn how to assess a process with respect to how capable it is of meeting...

3. Learn Test management using HP ALM / QC (Quality Center)

udemy
4.5
(984)

A practical detailed discussion on Test Management using Quality Center / ALM...

4. Become a Microbiology Laboratory Technician

udemy
4
(339)

Microbiology...

5. The Data Scientist’s Toolbox

coursera

In this course you will get an introduction to the main tools and ideas in the data scientist's toolbox. The course gives an overview of the data, questions, and tools that data analysts and data scientists work with. There are two components to this course. The first is a conceptual introduction to the ideas behind turning data into actionable knowledge. The second is a practical introduction to the tools that will be used in the program like version control, markdown, git, GitHub, R, and...

6. Der Werkzeugkasten des Data Scientist

coursera

In this course you will get an introduction to the main tools and ideas in the data scientist's toolbox. The course gives an overview of the data, questions, and tools that data analysts and data scientists work with. There are two components to this course. The first is a conceptual introduction to the ideas behind turning data into actionable knowledge. The second is a practical introduction to the tools that will be used in the program like version control, markdown, git, GitHub, R, and...

7. Cost of Quality Analysis and Reporting using Microsoft Excel

udemy
4.4
(533)

Expertly collect, analyze and present quality cost data (using Microsoft Excel) to help drive continual improvement...

8. SAP Controlling

udemy
4.4
(293)

SAP Controlling...

9. Drug Development

coursera

The University of California San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Drug Development course brings you lectures from both faculty and industry experts. With this course, recorded on campus at UCSD, we seek to share our access to top people in the field who bring an unprecedented range of expertise on drug development. In this course you will learn the different stages of clinical development as well as the regulatory including but not limited to, an Investigational New...

10. Measuring Total Data Quality

coursera

By the end of this second course in the Total Data Quality Specialization, learners will be able to: 1. Learn various metrics for evaluating Total Data Quality (TDQ) at each stage of the TDQ framework. 2. Create a quality concept map that tracks relevant aspects of TDQ from a particular application or data source. 3. Think through relative trade-offs between quality aspects, relative costs and practical constraints imposed by a particular project or study. 4. Identify relevant software and...

11. 7 Quality Tools for Quality Management and Improvements.

udemy
4.4
(434)

A complete Crash Course on the 7 Basic Tools for Quality Management and its Implementation using MS Excel...

12. 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...

13. The Total Data Quality Framework

coursera

By the end of this first course in the Total Data Quality specialization, learners will be able to: 1. Identify the essential differences between designed and gathered data and summarize the key dimensions of the Total Data Quality (TDQ) Framework; 2. Define the three measurement dimensions of the Total Data Quality framework, and describe potential threats to data quality along each of these dimensions for both gathered and designed data; 3. Define the three representation dimensions of the...

14. Drug Development Product Management

coursera

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...

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. Control Systems: From Mathematical Modelling to PID Control

udemy
4.2
(791)

Learn the mathematics that will allow you to model and control any engineering system. Make machines do what you want!...

17. Applied Control Systems 3: UAV drone (3D Dynamics & control)

udemy
4.6
(292)

Modeling + state space systems + Model Predictive Control + feedback control + Python simulation: UAV quadcopter drone...

18. AML Case Investigation Skills

udemy
4.5
(1,289)

A guide to conducting AML case investigations, writing quality case narratives and the submission of STRs (STR filing)...

19. Data Warehouse ETL Testing & Data Quality Management A-Z

udemy
4.4
(2,977)

ETL Testing and Data Quality Management for beginners with practical exercises and certificate of completion...

20. 4x1 Data Management/Governance/Security/Ethics Masterclass

udemy
4.4
(533)

You'll learn about data literacy, Data Quality operations, Data Governance policies and Data Security/Privacy controls...

Top 10 most affordable universities for quality control scientists

The most affordable schools for quality control scientists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for quality control 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 quality control 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 - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

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 quality control scientists

The hardest universities for quality control scientists to get into are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for quality control 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 quality control 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for quality control scientists

The easiest schools for quality control scientists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a quality control 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 quality control scientists.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average quality control scientist salary by education level

Quality control scientists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $88,428 annually. With a Associate degree, quality control scientists earn a median annual income of $79,639 compared to $76,285 for quality control scientists with an Bachelor's degree.
Quality control scientist education levelQuality control scientist salary
Master's Degree$88,428
High School Diploma or Less$73,142
Bachelor's Degree$76,285
Some College/ Associate Degree$79,639

Quality control scientist education FAQs

Search for quality control scientist 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 life, physical, and social science jobs