Research aide education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a research aide. Research aides usually study biology, psychology, or mechanical engineering. 73% of research aides hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,444 real research aide resumes to see exactly what research aide education sections show.

The most common colleges for research aides are the Arizona State University and the Arizona State University.

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

What education do you need to become a research aide?

What degree do you need to be a research aide?

The most common degree for research aides is bachelor's degree, with 73% of research aides earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 73%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 6%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a research aide?

You should major in biology to become a research aide. 15% of research aides major in biology. Other common majors for a research aide include psychology and mechanical engineering.

Biology, 15%

Psychology, 13%

Mechanical Engineering, 10%

Electrical Engineering, 8%

Other Majors, 54%

Most common colleges for research aides

Research aides often get their degrees at Arizona State University, Michigan State University, and Ohio State University. Here are the most common colleges for research aides in the US based on their resumes.

Research aide common college	Percentages
Arizona State University	20.89%
Michigan State University	18.49%
Ohio State University	6.85%
University of Illinois at Chicago	6.51%
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry	6.16%

Show more common research aide colleges

Best majors for research aides

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Biology	15.1%
2	Psychology	13.2%
3	Mechanical Engineering	9.5%
4	Electrical Engineering	8.0%
5	Business	5.7%

Show more common research aide majors

Best colleges for research aides

The best colleges for research aides are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.

A research aide 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 aides. 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 aides.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

20 best online courses for research aides

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4.6

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20. Fundamentals of Data Analysis for Big Data

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This course prepares participants to begin running data analysis on databases...

Top 10 most affordable universities for research aides

The most affordable schools for research aides 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 aides 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 aides.

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. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for research aides

The hardest universities for research aides to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for research aides 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 aides 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

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

SAT average

1,497

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research aides

The easiest schools for research aides to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a research aide 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 aides.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Ursuline College

Pepper Pike, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,102

Average research aide salary by education level

Research aides with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $38,039 annually. With a Master's degree, research aides earn a median annual income of $37,678 compared to $32,930 for research aides with an Bachelor's degree.

Research aide education level	Research aide salary
Master's Degree	$37,678
Bachelor's Degree	$32,930
Doctorate Degree	$38,039

Research aide education FAQs

What is the best college for Research Aides?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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