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Research professor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a research professor. Research professors usually study chemistry, physics, or electrical engineering. 59% of research professors hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 946 real research professor resumes to see exactly what research professor education sections show.
The most common colleges for research professors are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online research professor courses to help get the education required to be a research professor.
What education do you need to become a research professor?
What degree do you need to be a research professor?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Doctorate, 23%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a research professor?
Most common colleges for research professors
| Research professor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 12.40% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 10.74% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 10.74% |
| Cornell University | 6.61% |
| The University of Alabama | 5.79% |
Best majors for research professors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemistry | 20.1% |
| 2 | Physics | 9.8% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 7.2% |
| 4 | Biology | 7.0% |
| 5 | Psychology | 6.5% |
Best colleges for research professors
The best colleges for research professors are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A research professor 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 professors. 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 professors.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
20 best online courses for research professors
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In this course, the second in the Market Research Specialization, you will go in-depth with qualitative market research methods, from design to implementation to analysis. Week 1: Define qualitative research and how it differs from quantitative research. Explore the various qualitative research methods and evaluate when and how to use them for your research project. Week 2: Design the qualitative instruments necessary for your interviews or focus groups, and plan your recruitment efforts. Write...
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15. Data Structures and Algorithms In Python ( DSA )
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16. Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods
Learn the basics of conducting qualitative research. Learn to design interviews, conduct observations, and analyze data...
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18. Complete Data Wrangling & Data Visualisation With Python
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19. Python Data Analysis & Visualization Bootcamp
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20. R Level 1 - Data Analytics with R
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Top 10 most affordable universities for research professors
The most affordable schools for research professors 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 professors 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 professors.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
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 professors
The hardest universities for research professors to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for research professors 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 professors 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research professors
The easiest schools for research professors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, d'youville college, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a research professor 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 professors.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
Average research professor salary by education level
| Research professor education level | Research professor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $113,772 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $110,213 |
| Doctorate Degree | $123,112 |
Research professor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025