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Research support specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a research support specialist. Research support specialists usually study psychology, biology, or business. 65% of research support specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 487 real research support specialist resumes to see exactly what research support specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for research support specialists are the SUNY Buffalo State and the SUNY Buffalo State.
There are also many online research support specialist courses to help get the education required to be a research support specialist.
What education do you need to become a research support specialist?
What degree do you need to be a research support specialist?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a research support specialist?
- Psychology, 18%
- Biology, 18%
- Business, 13%
- Chemistry, 7%
- Other Majors, 44%
Most common colleges for research support specialists
| Research support specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| SUNY Buffalo State | 11.54% |
| SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | 10.26% |
| Cornell University | 10.26% |
| Hunter College of the City University of New York | 7.69% |
| University of South Florida | 6.41% |
Best majors for research support specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 18.4% |
| 2 | Biology | 17.9% |
| 3 | Business | 13.2% |
| 4 | Chemistry | 7.1% |
| 5 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 5.2% |
Best colleges for research support specialists
The best colleges for research support specialists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A research support specialist 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 support specialists. 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 support specialists.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for research support specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for research support specialists
The most affordable schools for research support specialists are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for research support specialists 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 support specialists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for research support specialists
The hardest universities for research support specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for research support specialists 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 support specialists 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research support specialists
The easiest schools for research support specialists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a research support specialist 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 support specialists.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Ursuline College
Pepper Pike, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,102
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average research support specialist salary by education level
| Research support specialist education level | Research support specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $56,369 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,075 |
| Doctorate Degree | $56,926 |
Research support specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025