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Sociology research assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a sociology research assistant. Sociology research assistants usually study sociology, psychology, or biology. 73% of sociology research assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 278 real sociology research assistant resumes to see exactly what sociology research assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for sociology research assistants are the Emory University and the Emory University.

There are also many online sociology research assistant courses to help get the education required to be a sociology research assistant.

What education do you need to become a sociology research assistant?

What degree do you need to be a sociology research assistant?

The most common degree for sociology research assistants is bachelor's degree, with 73% of sociology research assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 10% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Associate, 10%
  • Master's, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a sociology research assistant?

You should major in sociology to become a sociology research assistant. 43% of sociology research assistants major in sociology. Other common majors for a sociology research assistant include psychology and biology.

Most common colleges for sociology research assistants

Sociology research assistants often get their degrees at Emory University, University of California, Berkeley, and Skidmore College. Here are the most common colleges for sociology research assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Sociology research assistant common collegePercentages
Emory University8.00%
University of California, Berkeley8.00%
Skidmore College8.00%
University of California - Davis6.00%
University of Chicago6.00%

Best majors for sociology research assistants

RankMajorPercentages
1Sociology42.5%
2Psychology11.4%
3Biology4.2%
4Law4.2%
5Criminal Justice3.6%

Best colleges for sociology research assistants

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

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

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

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. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

20 best online courses for sociology research assistants

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1. Market Research

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The Market Research Specialisation focuses on the essentials of research and the research process. This Specialisation will teach you how to use qualitative and quantitative research methods, how to develop and manage a questionnaire development strategy, how to develop measurements, how to collect data and how to analyze and present them.\n\nOnce you have completed this Specialisation, you will have a good understanding of market research including:\n\nEssentials of market research Components...

2. Data Science for Health Research

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In Data Science for Health Research, learn to organize and visualize health data using statistical analysis in programs like R. Explore how to translate data, interpret statistical models, and predict outcomes to help make data-informed decisions within the public health field...

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4. Statistics / Data Analysis in SPSS: Inferential Statistics

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5. Market Research

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"Finding the Story in the Data” is the most important emerging capability for market researchers according to GRIT (Greenbook Research Industry Trends) Report 2016. This specialization, designed for learners with no previous Marketing Research experience teaches a comprehensive marketing research approach that will help learners find and communicate the story in the data.\n\nStudents will learn how to initiate a research project for targeted business needs, conduct research through multiple...

6. Qualitative Research

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In this course, the second in the Market Research Specialization, you will go in-depth with qualitative market research methods, from design to implementation to analysis. Week 1: Define qualitative research and how it differs from quantitative research. Explore the various qualitative research methods and evaluate when and how to use them for your research project. Week 2: Design the qualitative instruments necessary for your interviews or focus groups, and plan your recruitment efforts. Write...

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9. How to Visualize Research Data in Tableau

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Publishing research often requires the preparation of visual elements like charts, tables, and graphs to better explain the text in a research report. Creating these elements can be done easily and effectively in Tableau. Using Tableau, large and small data sets can be visualized with precision, creativity, interactivity, and options in Tableau. After taking this course learners will know how to create a table, a geovisualization, and a pie chart. Three of the most common research...

10. SPSS For Research

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11. Fundamentals of Data Analysis for Big Data

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This course prepares participants to begin running data analysis on databases...

12. Qualitative Data Analysis using MAXQDA: Scratch to Advanced

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Master Qualitative Research Method, Content Analysis, Grounded Theory, Thematic Analysis and more with MAXQDA Analytics...

13. Research Methodology

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Academic Research Business Research Thesis & Dissertation Report Research Paper / Journal...

14. Data Science:Data Mining & Natural Language Processing in R

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15. Data Analysis with Pandas and Python

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16. Complete Data Entry Skills Course - Learn Data Entry Skills

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17. SPSS Masterclass: Learn SPSS From Scratch to Advanced

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18. Data Science Bootcamp 2022: 5 Data Science Projects

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19. Applied Statistical Modeling for Data Analysis in R

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20. The Data Science Course: Complete Data Science Bootcamp 2023

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Complete Data Science Training: Mathematics, Statistics, Python, Advanced Statistics in Python, Machine & Deep Learning...

Top 10 most affordable universities for sociology research assistants

The most affordable schools for sociology research assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for sociology research assistants 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 sociology research assistants.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

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 - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

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 sociology research assistants

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

Some great schools for sociology research assistants 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 sociology research assistants 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

10. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sociology research assistants

The easiest schools for sociology research assistants to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, kean university, and felician university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sociology research assistant 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 sociology research assistants.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

3. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

4. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

5. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

6. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. American International College

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,010

9. Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,026

10. Hardin-Simmons University

Abilene, TX • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,085

Average sociology research assistant salary by education level

According to our data, sociology research assistants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $71,427 annually. Sociology research assistants with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $63,312.
Sociology research assistant education levelSociology research assistant salary
Master's Degree$71,427
High School Diploma or Less$57,140
Bachelor's Degree$60,043
Some College/ Associate Degree$63,312

Sociology research assistant 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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