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Science faculty member education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a science faculty member. Science faculty members usually study biology, computer science, or kinesiology. 62% of science faculty members hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,088 real science faculty member resumes to see exactly what science faculty member education sections show.
The most common colleges for science faculty members are the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa.
There are also many online science faculty member courses to help get the education required to be a science faculty member.
What education do you need to become a science faculty member?
What degree do you need to be a science faculty member?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 18%
- Doctorate, 8%
- Associate, 7%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a science faculty member?
- Biology, 14%
- Computer Science, 10%
- Kinesiology, 8%
- Chemistry, 7%
- Other Majors, 61%
Most common colleges for science faculty members
| Science faculty member common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Iowa | 8.57% |
| New York University | 7.62% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.62% |
| Purdue University | 6.67% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 5.71% |
Best majors for science faculty members
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 13.7% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 9.6% |
| 3 | Kinesiology | 7.8% |
| 4 | Chemistry | 7.2% |
| 5 | Education | 6.7% |
Best colleges for science faculty members
The best colleges for science faculty members are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.
A science faculty 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 science faculty 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 science faculty members.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,700
Enrollment
29,722
20 best online courses for science faculty members
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19. Data science with R: tidyverse
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20. Data Science Foundations
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Top 10 most affordable universities for science faculty members
The most affordable schools for science faculty members are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for science faculty 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 science faculty members.
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 - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for science faculty members
The hardest universities for science faculty members to get into are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for science faculty 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 science faculty 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for science faculty members
The easiest schools for science faculty members to get into are Barry University, life university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a science faculty 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 science faculty members.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
Average science faculty member salary by education level
| Science faculty member education level | Science faculty member salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $66,041 |
| Doctorate Degree | $84,832 |
Science faculty member education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025