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Certified surgical technician/first assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a certified surgical technician/first assistant. Certified surgical technician/first assistants usually study medical technician, medical assisting services, or general studies. 60% of certified surgical technician/first assistants hold a associate degree, and 30% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 32 real certified surgical technician/first assistant resumes to see exactly what certified surgical technician/first assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for certified surgical technician/first assistants are the University of Washington and the University of Washington.
There are also many online certified surgical technician/first assistant courses to help get the education required to be a certified surgical technician/first assistant.
What education do you need to become a certified surgical technician/first assistant?
What degree do you need to be a certified surgical technician/first assistant?
- Associate, 60%
- Bachelor's, 30%
- High School Diploma, 10%
What should I major in to become a certified surgical technician/first assistant?
- Medical Technician, 19%
- General Studies, 6%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for certified surgical technician/first assistants
| Certified surgical technician/first assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Washington | 12.50% |
| Salisbury University | 12.50% |
| Gulf Coast State College | 12.50% |
| Skyline College | 12.50% |
| University of Phoenix | 12.50% |
Best majors for certified surgical technician/first assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Technician | 18.8% |
| 2 | Medical Assisting Services | 12.5% |
| 3 | General Studies | 6.3% |
| 4 | Science, Technology, And Society | 6.3% |
| 5 | Biology | 6.3% |
Best colleges for certified surgical technician/first assistants
The best colleges for certified surgical technician/first assistants are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
A certified surgical technician/first 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 certified surgical technician/first 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 certified surgical technician/first assistants.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
8. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
20 best online courses for certified surgical technician/first assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for certified surgical technician/first assistants
The most affordable schools for certified surgical technician/first assistants are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and university of south florida.
If the best universities for certified surgical technician/first 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 certified surgical technician/first assistants.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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 certified surgical technician/first assistants
The hardest universities for certified surgical technician/first assistants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
Some great schools for certified surgical technician/first 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 certified surgical technician/first 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for certified surgical technician/first assistants
The easiest schools for certified surgical technician/first assistants to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, texas woman's university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a certified surgical technician/first 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 certified surgical technician/first assistants.
1. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
2. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
7. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
Average certified surgical technician/first assistant salary by education level
| Certified surgical technician/first assistant education level | Certified surgical technician/first assistant salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $58,326 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,374 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $60,735 |
Certified surgical technician/first assistant 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