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Researcher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a researcher. Researchers usually study biology, chemistry, or psychology. 71% of researchers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 50,483 real researcher resumes to see exactly what researcher education sections show.
The most common colleges for researchers are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online researcher courses to help get the education required to be a researcher.
There are certain researcher certifications that you should consider. These researcher certifications include Clinical Research Assistant and Professional Researcher Certification (PRC).
What education do you need to become a researcher?
What degree do you need to be a researcher?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a researcher?
- Biology, 14%
- Chemistry, 10%
- Psychology, 9%
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 61%
Most common colleges for researchers
| Researcher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 12.47% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 10.87% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.87% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 5.74% |
| New York University | 5.64% |
Best majors for researchers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 13.6% |
| 2 | Chemistry | 9.7% |
| 3 | Psychology | 9.3% |
| 4 | Business | 6.3% |
| 5 | Mechanical Engineering | 6.2% |
Best colleges for researchers
The best colleges for researchers are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A researcher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for researchers. 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 researchers.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for researchers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for researchers
The most affordable schools for researchers are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for researchers 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 researchers.
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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 researchers
The hardest universities for researchers to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for researchers 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 researchers 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
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 researchers
The easiest schools for researchers 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 researcher 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 researchers.
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. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average researcher salary by education level
| Researcher education level | Researcher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,913 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,905 |
| Doctorate Degree | $69,182 |
Researcher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025