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Research group director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a research group director. Research group directors usually study chemistry, psychology, or business. 74% of research group directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 263 real research group director resumes to see exactly what research group director education sections show.
The most common colleges for research group directors are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
There are also many online research group director courses to help get the education required to be a research group director.
What education do you need to become a research group director?
What degree do you need to be a research group director?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Master's, 16%
- Doctorate, 6%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become a research group director?
- Chemistry, 9%
- Psychology, 8%
- Business, 8%
- Other Majors, 68%
Most common colleges for research group directors
| Research group director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 9.52% |
| University of Connecticut | 7.14% |
| New York University | 7.14% |
| Harvard University | 7.14% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.14% |
Best majors for research group directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemistry | 9.1% |
| 2 | Psychology | 8.3% |
| 3 | Business | 8.3% |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering | 7.4% |
| 5 | Chemical Engineering | 7.4% |
Best colleges for research group directors
The best colleges for research group directors are Duke University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
A research group director 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 group directors. 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 group directors.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for research group directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for research group directors
The most affordable schools for research group directors 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 group directors 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 group directors.
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. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for research group directors
The hardest universities for research group directors to get into are Duke University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for research group directors 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 group directors 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research group directors
The easiest schools for research group directors to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a research group director 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 group directors.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
8. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
9. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average research group director salary by education level
| Research group director education level | Research group director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $93,703 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $91,171 |
| Doctorate Degree | $100,297 |
Research group director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025