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Rheumatologist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a rheumatologist. Rheumatologists usually study medicine, chemistry, or medical clinical sciences. 56% of rheumatologists hold a doctoral degree, and 16% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 28 real rheumatologist resumes to see exactly what rheumatologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for rheumatologists are the Teachers College of Columbia University and the Teachers College of Columbia University.

There are also many online rheumatologist courses to help get the education required to be a rheumatologist.

What education do you need to become a rheumatologist?

What degree do you need to be a rheumatologist?

The most common degree for rheumatologists is doctoral degree, with 56% of rheumatologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 16% and bachelor's degree degree at 4%.
  • Doctorate, 56%
  • Bachelor's, 16%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 20%

What should I major in to become a rheumatologist?

You should major in medicine to become a rheumatologist. 54% of rheumatologists major in medicine. Other common majors for a rheumatologist include chemistry and medical clinical sciences.

Most common colleges for rheumatologists

Rheumatologists often get their degrees at Teachers College of Columbia University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and SUNY Upstate Medical University. Here are the most common colleges for rheumatologists in the US based on their resumes.
Rheumatologist common collegePercentages
Teachers College of Columbia University16.67%
Virginia Commonwealth University8.33%
SUNY Upstate Medical University8.33%
Ball State University8.33%
Bryan College8.33%

Best majors for rheumatologists

Best colleges for rheumatologists

The best colleges for rheumatologists are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A rheumatologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for rheumatologists. 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 rheumatologists.

1. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for rheumatologists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for rheumatologists

The most affordable schools for rheumatologists are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for rheumatologists 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 rheumatologists.

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for rheumatologists

The hardest universities for rheumatologists to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for rheumatologists 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 rheumatologists 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for rheumatologists

The easiest schools for rheumatologists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a rheumatologist 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 rheumatologists.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average rheumatologist salary by education level

Rheumatologist education levelRheumatologist salary
Doctorate Degree$318,194

Rheumatologist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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