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Radiologist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a radiologist. Radiologists usually study medical technician, nuclear and industrial radiologic technologies, or medicine. 31% of radiologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,161 real radiologist resumes to see exactly what radiologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for radiologists are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online radiologist courses to help get the education required to be a radiologist.

There are certain radiologist certifications that you should consider. These radiologist certifications include Diagnostic Radiology and Certification in Diagnostic Radiology.

What education do you need to become a radiologist?

What degree do you need to be a radiologist?

The most common degree for radiologists is bachelor's degree, with 31% of radiologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 28% and associate degree degree at 17%.
  • Bachelor's, 31%
  • Associate, 28%
  • Doctorate, 17%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 18%

What should I major in to become a radiologist?

You should major in medical technician to become a radiologist. 25% of radiologists major in medical technician. Other common majors for a radiologist include nuclear and industrial radiologic technologies and medicine.

Most common colleges for radiologists

Radiologists often get their degrees at New York University, Wayne State University, and Howard University. Here are the most common colleges for radiologists in the US based on their resumes.
Radiologist common collegePercentages
New York University10.67%
Wayne State University6.67%
Howard University5.33%
University of the Sciences5.33%
Temple University5.33%

Best majors for radiologists

Best colleges for radiologists

The best colleges for radiologists are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Vanderbilt University.

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

1. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

4. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

10. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,382

Enrollment

5,597

20 best online courses for radiologists

Advertising disclosure

1. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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2. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation

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In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: 1) assess a basic medical patient 2) describe general pharmacologic principles and the skills associated with medication administration, 3) explain airway physiology, the assessment of the airway and available interventions for airway management, 4) identify, assess and formulate a plan to stabilize a patient with a...

3. Introduction to Medical Imaging

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5. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff

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Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...

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9. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

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Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...

10. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative

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Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...

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13. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness

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In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: (1) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR...

14. The Critical Role of IT Support Staff in Healthcare

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This is a very exciting time to be exploring a career in Health IT Support! In this introductory course, you’ll learn about various roles in IT support that are common in healthcare. IT support staff play critical roles in many different healthcare venues. In addition to helping clinics, hospitals, and emergency rooms, you may end up providing support in a skilled nursing facility, ambulatory surgical center, virtual care setting, or even a patient’s home! On any given day, you may interact...

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18. ICD 10 & 11 Medical Coding and Billing

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Top 10 most affordable universities for radiologists

The most affordable schools for radiologists are University of Florida, florida international university, and florida state university.

If the best universities for radiologists 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 radiologists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

10. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for radiologists

The hardest universities for radiologists to get into are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for radiologists 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 radiologists 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

5. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

6. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for radiologists

The easiest schools for radiologists to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and life university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a radiologist 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 radiologists.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Canton, OH • Private

Admissions rate

75%

SAT average

1,085

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

10. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

Average radiologist salary by education level

Radiologist education levelRadiologist salary
Doctorate Degree$314,588

Radiologist education FAQs

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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.

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