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Thoracic surgeon education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a thoracic surgeon. Thoracic surgeons usually study nursing, business, or medicine. 52% of thoracic surgeons hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 56 real thoracic surgeon resumes to see exactly what thoracic surgeon education sections show.
The most common colleges for thoracic surgeons are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online thoracic surgeon courses to help get the education required to be a thoracic surgeon.
What education do you need to become a thoracic surgeon?
What degree do you need to be a thoracic surgeon?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 11%
- Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 19%
What should I major in to become a thoracic surgeon?
Most common colleges for thoracic surgeons
| Thoracic surgeon common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.76% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 11.76% |
| University of Kentucky | 5.88% |
| Marymount Manhattan College | 5.88% |
| California State University - San Marcos | 5.88% |
Best majors for thoracic surgeons
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 10.3% |
| 2 | Business | 10.3% |
| 3 | Medicine | 10.3% |
| 4 | Sociology | 6.9% |
| 5 | Nursing Science | 6.9% |
Best colleges for thoracic surgeons
The best colleges for thoracic surgeons are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.
A thoracic surgeon with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for thoracic surgeons. 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 thoracic surgeons.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
4. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
20 best online courses for thoracic surgeons
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Top 10 most affordable universities for thoracic surgeons
The most affordable schools for thoracic surgeons are SUNY Farmingdale, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for thoracic surgeons 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 thoracic surgeons.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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 - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for thoracic surgeons
The hardest universities for thoracic surgeons to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.
Some great schools for thoracic surgeons 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 thoracic surgeons 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for thoracic surgeons
The easiest schools for thoracic surgeons to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and curry college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a thoracic surgeon 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 thoracic surgeons.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
9. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
10. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
Average thoracic surgeon salary by education level
| Thoracic surgeon education level | Thoracic surgeon salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $455,432 |
Thoracic surgeon 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