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Surgical first assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a surgical first assistant. Surgical first assistants usually study medical technician, nursing, or physician assistant. 31% of surgical first assistants hold a associate degree, and 27% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,253 real surgical first assistant resumes to see exactly what surgical first assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for surgical first assistants are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.
There are also many online surgical first assistant courses to help get the education required to be a surgical first assistant.
There are certain surgical first assistant certifications that you should consider. These surgical first assistant certifications include Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA) and Certified Surgical Assistant.
What education do you need to become a surgical first assistant?
What degree do you need to be a surgical first assistant?
- Associate, 31%
- Bachelor's, 27%
- Master's, 14%
- Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 19%
What should I major in to become a surgical first assistant?
- Medical Technician, 36%
- Nursing, 18%
- Biology, 6%
- Other Majors, 31%
Most common colleges for surgical first assistants
| Surgical first assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Florida | 10.45% |
| Baker College | 7.46% |
| Texas Woman's University | 7.46% |
| University of Washington | 5.97% |
| Eastern Virginia Medical School | 5.97% |
Best majors for surgical first assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Technician | 36.3% |
| 2 | Nursing | 18.3% |
| 3 | Physician Assistant | 9.3% |
| 4 | Biology | 6.5% |
| 5 | Medicine | 4.9% |
Best colleges for surgical first assistants
The best colleges for surgical first assistants are Vanderbilt University, University of Tulsa, and Yale University.
A surgical first 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 surgical first 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 surgical first assistants.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for surgical first assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for surgical first assistants
The most affordable schools for surgical first assistants are Brigham Young University, university of florida, and florida international university.
If the best universities for surgical first 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 surgical first assistants.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Maine College of Health Professions
Lewiston, ME • Private
In-state tuition
$12,245
Cost of attendance
18,826
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
10. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
In-state tuition
$9,283
Cost of attendance
22,243
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for surgical first assistants
The hardest universities for surgical first assistants to get into are Vanderbilt University, University of Tulsa, and Yale University.
Some great schools for surgical first 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 surgical first 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
2. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,326
7. Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,304
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
10. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,367
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for surgical first assistants
The easiest schools for surgical first assistants to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a surgical first 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 surgical first assistants.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Canton, OH • Private
Admissions rate
75%
SAT average
1,085
9. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average surgical first assistant salary by education level
| Surgical first assistant education level | Surgical first assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $85,941 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $54,728 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $70,575 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $61,633 |
Surgical first assistant education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025