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Research assistant lead education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a research assistant lead. Research assistant leads usually study psychology, criminal justice, or business. 62% of research assistant leads hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 82 real research assistant lead resumes to see exactly what research assistant lead education sections show.

The most common colleges for research assistant leads are the SUNY College of Technology at Delhi and the SUNY College of Technology at Delhi.

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

What education do you need to become a research assistant lead?

What degree do you need to be a research assistant lead?

The most common degree for research assistant leads is bachelor's degree, with 62% of research assistant leads earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 62%
  • Associate, 15%
  • Master's, 13%
  • Doctorate, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a research assistant lead?

You should major in psychology to become a research assistant lead. 13% of research assistant leads major in psychology. Other common majors for a research assistant lead include criminal justice and business.

Most common colleges for research assistant leads

Research assistant leads often get their degrees at SUNY College of Technology at Delhi, Texas State University, and Wichita State University. Here are the most common colleges for research assistant leads in the US based on their resumes.
Research assistant lead common collegePercentages
SUNY College of Technology at Delhi7.69%
Texas State University7.69%
Wichita State University7.69%
Georgia State University7.69%
Catholic University of America7.69%

Best majors for research assistant leads

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology12.8%
2Criminal Justice10.3%
3Business7.7%
4Computer Science7.7%
5Zoology7.7%

Best colleges for research assistant leads

The best colleges for research assistant leads are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.

A research assistant lead 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 assistant leads. 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 assistant leads.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for research assistant leads

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5. Data Science for Health Research

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Top 10 most affordable universities for research assistant leads

The most affordable schools for research assistant leads are California State University - Bakersfield, baruch college of the city university of new york, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for research assistant leads 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 assistant leads.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for research assistant leads

The hardest universities for research assistant leads to get into are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.

Some great schools for research assistant leads 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 assistant leads 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. 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. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research assistant leads

The easiest schools for research assistant leads to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a research assistant lead 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 assistant leads.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

7. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

8. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

9. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

10. American International College

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,010

Average research assistant lead salary by education level

Research assistant leads with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $80,262 annually. With a Associate degree, research assistant leads earn a median annual income of $72,106 compared to $68,787 for research assistant leads with an Bachelor's degree.
Research assistant lead education levelResearch assistant lead salary
Master's Degree$80,262
High School Diploma or Less$65,823
Bachelor's Degree$68,787
Some College/ Associate Degree$72,106

Research assistant lead 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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