Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Research affiliate education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a research affiliate. Research affiliates usually study biology, chemistry, or biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology. 53% of research affiliates hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 166 real research affiliate resumes to see exactly what research affiliate education sections show.
The most common colleges for research affiliates are the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Berkeley.
There are also many online research affiliate courses to help get the education required to be a research affiliate.
What education do you need to become a research affiliate?
What degree do you need to be a research affiliate?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Doctorate, 23%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a research affiliate?
Most common colleges for research affiliates
| Research affiliate common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Berkeley | 15.79% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 10.53% |
| Stanford University | 7.89% |
| Ohio State University | 5.26% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 5.26% |
Best majors for research affiliates
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 14.3% |
| 2 | Chemistry | 9.9% |
| 3 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 7.7% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 5.5% |
| 5 | Microbiology | 5.5% |
Best colleges for research affiliates
The best colleges for research affiliates are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.
A research affiliate with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for research affiliates. 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 research affiliates.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for research affiliates
Advertising disclosure
1. Foundations of Health Equity Research
Introduces students to the core principles of health equity research. Covers topics such as defining health equity, engaging community and policy stakeholders, patient-centeredness, cultural competence, and dissemination of research findings. Content will recognize different geographic, cultural, and social contexts where health inequities occur...
2. 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...
3. The Beginners Course for Clinical Research
The Essentials of Clinical Trials - Clinical Research for Beginners...
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. 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...
6. 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...
7. Affiliate Marketing Supremacy. Learn Affiliate Marketing
Beginner's Guide To Affiliate Marketing! How To Make Money With Affiliate Marketing, Even If You Are a Complete Beginner...
8. Ultimate Guide To Creating Passive Income Affiliate Stores
How To Make Killer Affiliate Income From Your Own Aliexpress Affiliate Stores...
9. Qualitative Research Design and Methods for Public Health
This specialization will enable public health professionals and researchers to design effective qualitative studies addressing a range of public health issues, select and implement appropriate qualitative methods to meet their study's objectives, and generate and analyze qualitative data...
10. Clinical Research for beginners
The Art of Publishing - Master Pub Med, Study design, Biostatistics, Journal choice, Manuscript writing & Referencing...
11. SEO:Amazon Affiliate Marketing+SEO 250+ Videos 18.0 Hours
Updated Oct 2020: SEO + Amazon Affiliate Sites: ahrefs niche & keyword research, Word Press SEO, on page SEO, SEO silos...
12. Research Methodology
Academic Research Business Research Thesis & Dissertation Report Research Paper / Journal...
13. Good Clinical Practice ICH GCP for Clinical Research
Certification on ICH GCP E6 R2 Good Clinical Practice for Clinical Research The Only Complete Course You Can Find Online...
14. Certificate Course in Clinical Research (CCCR)
A Clinical Research Course-ICH-GCP E6(R2), Clinical Trials, Essential Documents, Sponsor, Investigator, Pharmaceuticals...
15. The Simplest Guide to Clinical Trials Data Analysis with SAS
Step into the world of Pharmaceutical industry Clinical Trials Clinical Research Biostatistics Clinical SAS SAS...
16. Market Research: Dekker's Complete Marketing Research Course
Competitor Analysis, Market Research Analysis, Marketing Analytics, Consumer Analytics, Conversion Rate Optimization...
17. Learn how to Build High Quality Affiliate Websites
Learn affiliate marketing. Watch over my shoulder as I build a high quality affiliate site from scratch...
18. Affiliate Marketing 101 - How To Make An Income Online
Use affiliate marketing to start generating an income online by promoting products even without any prior experience...
19. Complete Blogging & Amazon Affiliate Marketing Course 2022
Learn everything you need to know about blogging and affiliate marketing, and set yourself up for a successful future...
20. Affiliate Marketing and Organic SEO in 2021 - The Fast Track
Be successful at affiliate marketing and earn income! Learn to build a website, write content, and rank well with SEO!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for research affiliates
The most affordable schools for research affiliates are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for research affiliates 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 research affiliates.
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for research affiliates
The hardest universities for research affiliates to get into are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.
Some great schools for research affiliates 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 research affiliates 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. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research affiliates
The easiest schools for research affiliates 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 research affiliate 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 research affiliates.
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. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average research affiliate salary by education level
| Research affiliate education level | Research affiliate salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $66,013 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $64,843 |
| Doctorate Degree | $69,008 |
Research affiliate education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
Search for research affiliate jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025