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Senior data scientist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior data scientist. Senior data scientists usually study mathematics, computer science, or statistics. 40% of senior data scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 35% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 375 real senior data scientist resumes to see exactly what senior data scientist education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior data scientists are the Teachers College of Columbia University and the Teachers College of Columbia University.
There are also many online senior data scientist courses to help get the education required to be a senior data scientist.
What education do you need to become a senior data scientist?
What degree do you need to be a senior data scientist?
- Bachelor's, 40%
- Master's, 35%
- Doctorate, 23%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a senior data scientist?
- Mathematics, 14%
- Computer Science, 12%
- Statistics, 10%
- Economics, 7%
- Other Majors, 57%
Most common colleges for senior data scientists
| Senior data scientist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Teachers College of Columbia University | 9.33% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 8.00% |
| Stanford University | 6.67% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.67% |
| University of Chicago | 6.67% |
Best majors for senior data scientists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathematics | 13.8% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 12.1% |
| 3 | Statistics | 9.8% |
| 4 | Economics | 7.1% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering | 7.1% |
Best colleges for senior data scientists
The best colleges for senior data scientists are Stanford University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.
A senior data 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 senior data 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 senior data scientists.
1. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
3. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
4. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,530
Enrollment
4,571
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$53,909
Enrollment
6,348
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
20 best online courses for senior data scientists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior data scientists
The most affordable schools for senior data scientists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for senior data 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 senior data scientists.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior data scientists
The hardest universities for senior data scientists to get into are Stanford University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for senior data 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 senior data 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
8. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
9. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior data scientists
The easiest schools for senior data scientists to get into are Sonoma State University, nyack college, and texas a&m; university - kingsville.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior data 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 senior data scientists.
1. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
3. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
4. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
9. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
10. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
Average senior data scientist salary by education level
| Senior data scientist education level | Senior data scientist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $127,787 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $118,955 |
Senior data scientist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025