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Research and development chemist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a research and development chemist. Research and development chemists usually study chemistry, biology, or chemical engineering. 76% of research and development chemists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,178 real research and development chemist resumes to see exactly what research and development chemist education sections show.
The most common colleges for research and development chemists are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online research and development chemist courses to help get the education required to be a research and development chemist.
There are certain research and development chemist certifications that you should consider. These research and development chemist certifications include Certified Chemical Engineer (CCE) and Certified Quality Auditor (CQA).
What education do you need to become a research and development chemist?
What degree do you need to be a research and development chemist?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 15%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Associate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a research and development chemist?
Most common colleges for research and development chemists
| Research and development chemist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 12.50% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 10.16% |
| University of Cincinnati | 5.86% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 5.47% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 5.47% |
Best majors for research and development chemists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemistry | 59.3% |
| 2 | Biology | 11.2% |
| 3 | Chemical Engineering | 6.4% |
| 4 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 6.0% |
| 5 | Pharmacy | 3.2% |
Best colleges for research and development chemists
The best colleges for research and development chemists are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Vanderbilt University.
A research and development chemist 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 chemists. 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 chemists.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. University of California - San Diego
La Jolla, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,167
Enrollment
30,279
3. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
20 best online courses for research and development chemists
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14. Being a researcher (in Information Science and Technology)
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20. Research Methods and Statistics: An Introduction (2023 Ed.)
A Primer in Research Methodology and Statistics in the Social Sciences (2023 Edition)...
Top 10 most affordable universities for research and development chemists
The most affordable schools for research and development chemists are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and florida state university.
If the best universities for research and development chemists 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 chemists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for research and development chemists
The hardest universities for research and development chemists to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for research and development chemists 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 chemists 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research and development chemists
The easiest schools for research and development chemists to get into are D'Youville College, university of the incarnate word, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a research and development chemist 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 chemists.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
5. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,069
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
Average research and development chemist salary by education level
| Research and development chemist education level | Research and development chemist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $81,655 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $69,556 |
| Doctorate Degree | $97,969 |
Research and development chemist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025