Scientist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a scientist. Scientists usually study chemistry, biology, or biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology. 60% of scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 14,847 real scientist resumes to see exactly what scientist education sections show.

The most common colleges for scientists are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

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

What education do you need to become a scientist?

What degree do you need to be a scientist?

The most common degree for scientists is bachelor's degree, with 60% of scientists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 16%.

Bachelor's, 60%

Master's, 19%

Doctorate, 16%

Associate, 3%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a scientist?

You should major in chemistry to become a scientist. 27% of scientists major in chemistry. Other common majors for a scientist include biology and biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology.

Chemistry, 27%

Biology, 21%

Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology, 12%

Microbiology, 5%

Other Majors, 35%

Most common colleges for scientists

Scientists often get their degrees at University of California, Santa Barbara, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for scientists in the US based on their resumes.

Scientist common college	Percentages
University of California, Santa Barbara	12.26%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	9.45%
University of California - Davis	7.89%
Pennsylvania State University	6.39%
University of Massachusetts Boston	4.76%

Show more common scientist colleges

Best majors for scientists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Chemistry	27.1%
2	Biology	21.2%
3	Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology	11.9%
4	Microbiology	5.2%
5	Physics	4.4%

Show more common scientist majors

Best colleges for scientists

The best colleges for scientists are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

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

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 scientists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for scientists

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

If the best universities for scientists 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 scientists.

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 scientists

The hardest universities for scientists to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for scientists 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 scientists 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

SAT average

1,520

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

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

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

SAT average

1,520

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

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

The easiest schools for scientists 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 scientist 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 scientists.

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 scientist salary by education level

According to our data, scientists with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $99,219 annually. Scientists with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $94,324.

Scientist education level	Scientist salary
Master's Degree	$94,324
Bachelor's Degree	$92,421
Doctorate Degree	$99,219

Scientist education FAQs

What is the best college for Scientists?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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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