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Research staff member education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a research staff member. Research staff members usually study electrical engineering, physics, or computer science. 58% of research staff members hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 693 real research staff member resumes to see exactly what research staff member education sections show.
The most common colleges for research staff members are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online research staff member courses to help get the education required to be a research staff member.
What education do you need to become a research staff member?
What degree do you need to be a research staff member?
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Master's, 21%
- Doctorate, 17%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a research staff member?
- Physics, 14%
- Computer Science, 12%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for research staff members
| Research staff member common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.61% |
| University of Southern California | 7.61% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.52% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.52% |
| Texas A&M University | 5.43% |
Best majors for research staff members
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 14.1% |
| 2 | Physics | 14.1% |
| 3 | Computer Science | 11.6% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 8.8% |
| 5 | Chemistry | 6.7% |
Best colleges for research staff members
The best colleges for research staff members are Duke University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A research staff member 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 staff members. 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 staff members.
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. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for research staff members
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Top 10 most affordable universities for research staff members
The most affordable schools for research staff members are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for research staff members 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 staff members.
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. 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 - 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. 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 staff members
The hardest universities for research staff members to get into are Duke University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for research staff members 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 staff members 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research staff members
The easiest schools for research staff members 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 staff member 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 staff members.
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. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
7. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
10. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
Average research staff member salary by education level
| Research staff member education level | Research staff member salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $106,791 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $104,744 |
| Doctorate Degree | $112,047 |
Research staff member education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025