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Research internship education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a research internship. Research interns usually study biology, psychology, or political science. 74% of research interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 48,157 real research internship resumes to see exactly what research internship education sections show.
The most common colleges for research interns are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online research internship courses to help get the education required to be a research internship.
There are certain research internship certifications that you should consider. These research internship certifications include Clinical Research Assistant and Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP).
What education do you need to become a research internship?
What degree do you need to be a research internship?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a research internship?
- Biology, 14%
- Psychology, 12%
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 60%
Most common colleges for research interns
| Research internship common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 10.45% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 9.99% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.79% |
| New York University | 6.33% |
| Boston University | 5.20% |
Best majors for research interns
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 14.4% |
| 2 | Psychology | 11.6% |
| 3 | Political Science | 8.1% |
| 4 | Business | 5.8% |
| 5 | Economics | 5.5% |
Best colleges for research interns
The best colleges for research interns are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.
A research internship 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 interns. 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 interns.
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 interns
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Top 10 most affordable universities for research interns
The most affordable schools for research interns 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 interns 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 interns.
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 interns
The hardest universities for research interns to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for research interns 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 interns 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. 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
8%
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
4%
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 interns
The easiest schools for research interns 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 internship 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 interns.
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 internship salary by education level
| Research internship education level | Research internship salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $46,879 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $40,512 |
| Doctorate Degree | $47,367 |
Research internship education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025