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Toxicologist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a toxicologist. Toxicologists usually study biology, pharmacology, or chemistry. 57% of toxicologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 546 real toxicologist resumes to see exactly what toxicologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for toxicologists are the Oregon State University and the Oregon State University.

There are also many online toxicologist courses to help get the education required to be a toxicologist.

There are certain toxicologist certifications that you should consider. These toxicologist certifications include Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology and Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT).

What education do you need to become a toxicologist?

What degree do you need to be a toxicologist?

The most common degree for toxicologists is bachelor's degree, with 57% of toxicologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 15%.
  • Bachelor's, 57%
  • Master's, 17%
  • Doctorate, 15%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a toxicologist?

You should major in biology to become a toxicologist. 27% of toxicologists major in biology. Other common majors for a toxicologist include pharmacology and chemistry.

Most common colleges for toxicologists

Toxicologists often get their degrees at Oregon State University, University of California, Santa Barbara, and North Carolina State University. Here are the most common colleges for toxicologists in the US based on their resumes.
Toxicologist common collegePercentages
Oregon State University8.11%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.76%
North Carolina State University5.41%
Wright State University5.41%
Texas Tech University5.41%

Best majors for toxicologists

Best colleges for toxicologists

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

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

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

8. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for toxicologists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for toxicologists

The most affordable schools for toxicologists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for toxicologists 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 toxicologists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

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 - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for toxicologists

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

Some great schools for toxicologists 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 toxicologists 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for toxicologists

The easiest schools for toxicologists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, d'youville college, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a toxicologist 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 toxicologists.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

7. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average toxicologist salary by education level

According to our data, toxicologists with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $77,569 annually. Toxicologists with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $72,459.
Toxicologist education levelToxicologist salary
Master's Degree$72,459
Bachelor's Degree$70,497
Doctorate Degree$77,569

Toxicologist 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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