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Doctor Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a doctor. Doctors usually study medicine, biology, or business. 35% of doctors hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 2,984 real doctor resumes to see exactly what doctor education sections show.
The most common colleges for doctors are the University of the Sciences and the University of the Sciences.
There are also many online doctor courses to help get the education required to be a doctor.
There are certain doctor certifications that you should consider. These doctor certifications include Medical Assistant and Registered Medical Assistant.
What education do you need to become a doctor?
What degree do you need to be a doctor?
- Bachelor's, 35%
- Doctorate, 30%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 9%
- Other Degrees, 16%
What should I major in to become a doctor?
Most common colleges for doctors
Doctor Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of the Sciences | 12.99% |
| Life University | 12.99% |
| Palmer College of Chiropractic | 7.79% |
| University of Southern California | 5.84% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 5.19% |
Best majors for doctors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medicine | 27.8% |
| 2 | Biology | 8.1% |
| 3 | Business | 7.7% |
| 4 | Nursing | 6.9% |
| 5 | Chiropractic | 5.8% |
Best colleges for doctors
The best colleges for doctors are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
A doctor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for doctors. 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 doctors.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
20 best online courses for doctors
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1. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...
2. Trauma Emergencies and Care
Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...
3. Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine Advanced Diploma
A complete program in one course, This Diploma is an Encyclopedia in The Natural Medicine field...
4. Doctor of Natural Medicine
This course is a mini encyclopedia in natural medicine field...
5. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...
6. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children
Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...
7. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...
8. Providing Trauma-Informed Care
Exploring psychological trauma and how to provide care and compassion to trauma survivors...
9. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative
Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...
10. Health for All Through Primary Health Care
This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...
Top 10 most affordable universities for doctors
The most affordable schools for doctors are University of Florida, florida international university, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for doctors 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 doctors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
2. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,556
Cost of Attendance
19,434
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Cost of Attendance
16,091
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,656
Cost of Attendance
21,623
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,410
Cost of Attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for doctors
The hardest universities for doctors to get into are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for doctors 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 doctors 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions Rate
9%
SAT Average
1,516
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,513
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions Rate
10%
SAT Average
1,514
5. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions Rate
6%
SAT Average
1,517
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for doctors
The easiest schools for doctors to get into are AdventHealth University, nyack college, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a doctor 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 doctors.
A
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
87%
SAT Average
1,016
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
999
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
100%
SAT Average
1,072
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
92%
SAT Average
1,031
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
99%
SAT Average
1,008
Average doctor salary by education level
| Doctor education level | Doctor salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $217,375 |
Doctor 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