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Biology Laboratory Assistant Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a biology laboratory assistant. Biology laboratory assistants usually study biology, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, or psychology. 71% of biology laboratory assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,259 real biology laboratory assistant resumes to see exactly what biology laboratory assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for biology laboratory assistants are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online biology laboratory assistant courses to help get the education required to be a biology laboratory assistant.
There are certain biology laboratory assistant certifications that you should consider. These biology laboratory assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.
What education do you need to become a biology laboratory assistant?
What degree do you need to be a biology laboratory assistant?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Associate, 15%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a biology laboratory assistant?
- Biology, 53%
- Psychology, 4%
- Other Majors, 33%
Most common colleges for biology laboratory assistants
| Biology Laboratory Assistant Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 10.24% |
| University of Central Florida | 7.87% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.09% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 7.09% |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | 5.51% |
Best majors for biology laboratory assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 52.8% |
| 2 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 7.4% |
| 3 | Psychology | 4.1% |
| 4 | Environmental Science | 3.5% |
| 5 | Chemistry | 3.5% |
Best colleges for biology laboratory assistants
The best colleges for biology laboratory assistants are Duke University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A biology laboratory 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 biology laboratory 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 biology laboratory assistants.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-State Tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
20 best online courses for biology laboratory assistants
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20. Bioinformatics Capstone: Big Data in Biology
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Top 10 most affordable universities for biology laboratory assistants
The most affordable schools for biology laboratory assistants are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for biology laboratory 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 biology laboratory assistants.
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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,410
Cost of Attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,886
Cost of Attendance
17,645
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,749
Cost of Attendance
14,823
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Cost of Attendance
25,527
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,656
Cost of Attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for biology laboratory assistants
The hardest universities for biology laboratory assistants to get into are Duke University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for biology laboratory 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 biology laboratory 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions Rate
9%
SAT Average
1,516
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
5%
SAT Average
1,520
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
6%
SAT Average
1,512
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
4%
SAT Average
1,497
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,513
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions Rate
10%
SAT Average
1,514
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions Rate
6%
SAT Average
1,517
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,471
10. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
7%
SAT Average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for biology laboratory assistants
The easiest schools for biology laboratory assistants to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a biology laboratory 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 biology laboratory assistants.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
84%
SAT Average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,006
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
100%
SAT Average
1,072
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
1,003
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
93%
SAT Average
1,026
6. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
87%
SAT Average
1,016
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
994
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
93%
SAT Average
1,002
9. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,065
10. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
Average biology laboratory assistant salary by education level
| Biology Laboratory Assistant education level | Biology Laboratory Assistant salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,084 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,216 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $29,867 |
Biology Laboratory Assistant Education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025