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Cardiovascular technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a cardiovascular technician. Cardiovascular technicians usually study medical technician, kinesiology, or nursing. 39% of cardiovascular technicians hold a associate degree, and 37% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 2,622 real cardiovascular technician resumes to see exactly what cardiovascular technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for cardiovascular technicians are the Santa Fe College and the Santa Fe College.

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

There are certain cardiovascular technician certifications that you should consider. These cardiovascular technician certifications include Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Experienced Provider (EP) (ACLS) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

What education do you need to become a cardiovascular technician?

What degree do you need to be a cardiovascular technician?

The most common degree for cardiovascular technicians is associate degree, with 39% of cardiovascular technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 37% and bachelor's degree degree at 7%.
  • Associate, 39%
  • Bachelor's, 37%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become a cardiovascular technician?

You should major in medical technician to become a cardiovascular technician. 43% of cardiovascular technicians major in medical technician. Other common majors for a cardiovascular technician include kinesiology and nursing.

Most common colleges for cardiovascular technicians

Cardiovascular technicians often get their degrees at Santa Fe College, West Coast Ultrasound Institute, and EDIC College. Here are the most common colleges for cardiovascular technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Cardiovascular technician common collegePercentages
Santa Fe College15.24%
West Coast Ultrasound Institute9.76%
EDIC College7.32%
Brown University6.10%
Central Michigan University6.10%

Best majors for cardiovascular technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Medical Technician42.7%
2Kinesiology7.9%
3Nursing7.6%
4Business7.1%
5Biology4.7%

Best colleges for cardiovascular technicians

The best colleges for cardiovascular technicians are Vanderbilt University, University of Tulsa, and Yale University.

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

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for cardiovascular technicians

Advertising disclosure

1. Anatomy: Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Urinary Systems

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In this anatomy course, part of the Anatomy Specialization, you will explore the interactive relationships of the cardiovascular, respiratory and urinary systems, and the roles they play in your body. This course is a primer for the cardiovascular, respiratory, and urinary systems in which students learn the pertinent details of the structures and functions through a combination of lectures, videos, labeling activities and quizzes...

2. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation

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In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: 1) assess a basic medical patient 2) describe general pharmacologic principles and the skills associated with medication administration, 3) explain airway physiology, the assessment of the airway and available interventions for airway management, 4) identify, assess and formulate a plan to stabilize a patient with a...

3. Become a Pharmacy Technician

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A Video Study Guide for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam...

4. ICD 10 & 11 Medical Coding and Billing

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Preparation for Medical Coding Certification Exam...

5. Myocardial Infarction

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Cardiovascular diseases are – according to the (World Health Organization (WHO) – the number one cause of death globally. Myocardial infarction (heart attack) is the most prominent under the Cardiovascular diseases. In Switzerland alone, the risk to develop a coronary heart disease during life time is around 25% for men and 18% for women. Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing behavioral risk factors, the understanding of these risk factors, their mechanisms and impact on...

6. Medical Terminology II

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This is the second course of the Medical Terminology specialization. It builds on the basic concepts of medical terminology with the introduction of new roots, terms, and abbreviations specific to the endocrine system (hormones). The body's transportation and defense systems (cardiovascular, blood, and lymphatic) will also be covered as well as the respiratory system (lungs)...

7. Become a Microbiology Laboratory Technician

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Microbiology...

8. Medical Coding: ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Training

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Learn medical coding and prepare yourself for today's healthcare workplace...

9. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

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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...

10. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale

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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...

11. SAP MM Pricing Procedure

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SAP MM Pricing Procedure step by step configuration and testing with business examples...

12. Introduction to Medical Imaging

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Your guide to the history, science, math, and economics of medical imaging systems (e.g., X-ray, CT, MRI, Ultrasound)...

13. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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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...

14. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff

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Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...

15. Medical Coding CPC (Certified Professional Coder) Training

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ICD 10, CPT, HCPCS, Rules and Regulations...

16. Medical Terminology

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Introduction to the meaning of various roots, terms and combining forms that are components of medical words...

17. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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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...

18. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course

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The Palliative Care Always Capstone course is designed to let you test your knowledge about palliative and help others understand the value of palliative care, while showing your creative side. In this course, you will impact community awareness about palliative care, promote self-care and wellness, show-off your communication skills in a virtual environment, and finish the course off by proving your thoughts on ways to offer psychosocial support to a patient and family...

19. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness

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In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: (1) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR...

20. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative

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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...

Top 10 most affordable universities for cardiovascular technicians

The most affordable schools for cardiovascular technicians are Brigham Young University, university of florida, and florida international university.

If the best universities for cardiovascular technicians 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 cardiovascular technicians.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

5. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Maine College of Health Professions

Lewiston, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$12,245

Cost of attendance

18,826

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for cardiovascular technicians

The hardest universities for cardiovascular technicians to get into are Vanderbilt University, University of Tulsa, and Yale University.

Some great schools for cardiovascular technicians 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 cardiovascular technicians 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

2. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

3. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,326

7. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

10. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for cardiovascular technicians

The easiest schools for cardiovascular technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a cardiovascular technician 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 cardiovascular technicians.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Canton, OH • Private

Admissions rate

75%

SAT average

1,085

9. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average cardiovascular technician salary by education level

According to our data, cardiovascular technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $72,318 annually. Cardiovascular technicians with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $61,468.
Cardiovascular technician education levelCardiovascular technician salary
High School Diploma or Less$56,142
Bachelor's Degree$72,318
Some College/ Associate Degree$61,468

Cardiovascular technician 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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