Biotechnician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a biotechnician. Biotechnicians usually study biology, chemistry, or microbiology. 75% of biotechnicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 145 real biotechnician resumes to see exactly what biotechnician education sections show.

The most common colleges for biotechnicians are the University of the Sciences and the University of the Sciences.

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

What education do you need to become a biotechnician?

What degree do you need to be a biotechnician?

The most common degree for biotechnicians is bachelor's degree, with 75% of biotechnicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 11% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 75%

Associate, 11%

Master's, 10%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a biotechnician?

You should major in biology to become a biotechnician. 36% of biotechnicians major in biology. Other common majors for a biotechnician include chemistry and microbiology.

Biology, 36%

Chemistry, 11%

Microbiology, 8%

Biotechnology, 7%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for biotechnicians

Biotechnicians often get their degrees at University of the Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, and Temple University. Here are the most common colleges for biotechnicians in the US based on their resumes.

Biotechnician common college	Percentages
University of the Sciences	9.09%
Thomas Jefferson University	9.09%
Temple University	9.09%
University of Maryland - College Park	9.09%
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania	6.82%

Show more common biotechnician colleges

Best majors for biotechnicians

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Biology	35.7%
2	Chemistry	11.2%
3	Microbiology	8.2%
4	Biotechnology	7.1%
5	Environmental Science	4.1%

Show more common biotechnician majors

Best colleges for biotechnicians

The best colleges for biotechnicians are Harvard University, Stanford University, and University of Pennsylvania.

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

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

4. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

20 best online courses for biotechnicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for biotechnicians

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

If the best universities for biotechnicians 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 biotechnicians.

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 - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for biotechnicians

The hardest universities for biotechnicians to get into are Harvard University, Stanford University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for biotechnicians 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 biotechnicians 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

SAT average

1,520

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

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

The easiest schools for biotechnicians to get into are Barry University, university of houston - downtown, and d'youville college.

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average biotechnician salary by education level

Biotechnicians with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $102,972 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, biotechnicians earn a median annual income of $89,006 compared to $79,057 for biotechnicians with an Associate degree.

Biotechnician education level	Biotechnician salary
Master's Degree	$102,972
High School Diploma or Less	$71,518
Bachelor's Degree	$89,006
Some College/ Associate Degree	$79,057

Biotechnician education FAQs

What is the best college for Biotechnicians?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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