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Research and development assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a research and development assistant. Research and development assistants usually study psychology, computer science, or business. 70% of research and development assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,103 real research and development assistant resumes to see exactly what research and development assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for research and development assistants are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online research and development assistant courses to help get the education required to be a research and development assistant.
What education do you need to become a research and development assistant?
What degree do you need to be a research and development assistant?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a research and development assistant?
- Psychology, 12%
- Computer Science, 12%
- Business, 11%
- Biology, 10%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for research and development assistants
| Research and development assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 8.81% |
| Northeastern University | 8.81% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.77% |
| New York University | 7.25% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 5.70% |
Best majors for research and development assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 12.2% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 12.1% |
| 3 | Business | 11.2% |
| 4 | Biology | 10.1% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering | 8.4% |
Best colleges for research and development assistants
The best colleges for research and development assistants are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A research and development assistant 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 and development assistants. 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 and development assistants.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for research and development assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for research and development assistants
The most affordable schools for research and development assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for research and development assistants 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 and development assistants.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for research and development assistants
The hardest universities for research and development assistants to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for research and development assistants 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 and development assistants 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
10. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research and development assistants
The easiest schools for research and development assistants to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, kean university, and san francisco state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a research and development assistant 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 and development assistants.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
9. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
10. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
Average research and development assistant salary by education level
| Research and development assistant education level | Research and development assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $74,456 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $61,206 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,929 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $66,975 |
Research and development assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025