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Science instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a science instructor. Science instructors usually study biology, education, or general education, specific areas. 66% of science instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,348 real science instructor resumes to see exactly what science instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for science instructors are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online science instructor courses to help get the education required to be a science instructor.
There are certain science instructor certifications that you should consider. These science instructor certifications include Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) and Certified Instructional Technologist (CIT).
What education do you need to become a science instructor?
What degree do you need to be a science instructor?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a science instructor?
Most common colleges for science instructors
| Science instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 9.25% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.88% |
| Texas A&M University | 7.53% |
| Florida State University | 5.82% |
| University of Florida | 5.48% |
Best majors for science instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 24.8% |
| 2 | Education | 9.4% |
| 3 | General Education, Specific Areas | 7.3% |
| 4 | Chemistry | 7.3% |
| 5 | Elementary Education | 6.9% |
Best colleges for science instructors
The best colleges for science instructors are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A science instructor 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 instructors. 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 instructors.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
20 best online courses for science instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for science instructors
The most affordable schools for science instructors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for science instructors 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 instructors.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for science instructors
The hardest universities for science instructors to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for science instructors 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 instructors 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. 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
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 science instructors
The easiest schools for science instructors to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and san francisco state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a science instructor 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 instructors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
4. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
5. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
8. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
9. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
10. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
Average science instructor salary by education level
| Science instructor education level | Science instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,383 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,995 |
| Doctorate Degree | $60,342 |
Science instructor 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