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Chemical technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chemical technician. Chemical technicians usually study chemistry, biology, or business. 50% of chemical technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,500 real chemical technician resumes to see exactly what chemical technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for chemical technicians are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online chemical technician courses to help get the education required to be a chemical technician.
There are certain chemical technician certifications that you should consider. These chemical technician certifications include Certified Chemical Technician (CCT) and Forklift Safety and Inspector.
What education do you need to become a chemical technician?
What degree do you need to be a chemical technician?
- Bachelor's, 50%
- Associate, 21%
- High School Diploma, 18%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a chemical technician?
Most common colleges for chemical technicians
| Chemical technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.41% |
| University of Houston | 6.17% |
| University of Delaware | 6.17% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 5.56% |
| San Jose State University | 5.56% |
Best majors for chemical technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemistry | 26.0% |
| 2 | Biology | 14.2% |
| 3 | Business | 10.1% |
| 4 | Chemical Engineering | 7.7% |
| 5 | Chemical Technology | 5.3% |
Best colleges for chemical technicians
The best colleges for chemical technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A chemical 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 chemical 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 chemical technicians.
1. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Enrollment
4,169
2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Guayama
Guayama, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,902
Enrollment
1,585
3. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
4. University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,000
Enrollment
25,973
5. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Knoxville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$13,006
Enrollment
22,653
6. New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,120
Enrollment
16,204
7. Lawrence Technological University
Southfield, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$33,570
Enrollment
1,991
8. Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$11,788
Enrollment
11,008
9. University of South Dakota
Vermillion, SD • Private
In-state tuition
$9,061
Enrollment
6,228
10. Murray State University
Murray, KY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,084
Enrollment
6,830
20 best online courses for chemical technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for chemical technicians
The most affordable schools for chemical technicians are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for chemical 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 chemical technicians.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
7. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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 chemical technicians
The hardest universities for chemical technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for chemical 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 chemical 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
5. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
6. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
10. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chemical technicians
The easiest schools for chemical technicians to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and saint joseph's college of maine.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chemical 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 chemical technicians.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
8. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
9. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average chemical technician salary by education level
| Chemical technician education level | Chemical technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,092 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $42,367 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $43,035 |
Chemical technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025