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Student research assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a student research assistant. Student research assistants usually study biology, psychology, or chemistry. 77% of student research assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 9,887 real student research assistant resumes to see exactly what student research assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for student research assistants are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.
There are also many online student research assistant courses to help get the education required to be a student research assistant.
There are certain student research assistant certifications that you should consider. These student research assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Clinical Research Assistant.
What education do you need to become a student research assistant?
What degree do you need to be a student research assistant?
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a student research assistant?
- Biology, 20%
- Psychology, 14%
- Chemistry, 8%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for student research assistants
| Student research assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Ohio State University | 15.35% |
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | 8.09% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.81% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.16% |
| Texas A&M University | 5.58% |
Best majors for student research assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 19.6% |
| 2 | Psychology | 14.0% |
| 3 | Chemistry | 8.4% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 6.9% |
| 5 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 6.1% |
Best colleges for student research assistants
The best colleges for student research assistants are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.
A student 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 student 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 student 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
20 best online courses for student research assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for student research assistants
The most affordable schools for student 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 student 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 student 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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for student research assistants
The hardest universities for student research assistants to get into are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.
Some great schools for student 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 student 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for student research assistants
The easiest schools for student 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 student 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 student 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. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
6. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
9. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
10. American International College
Springfield, MA • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
1,010
Average student research assistant salary by education level
| Student research assistant education level | Student research assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $31,158 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $26,824 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $27,731 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $28,736 |
Student research assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025