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Chief technologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chief technologist. Chief technologists usually study electrical engineering, medical technician, or business. 51% of chief technologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,969 real chief technologist resumes to see exactly what chief technologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for chief technologists are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.
There are also many online chief technologist courses to help get the education required to be a chief technologist.
There are certain chief technologist certifications that you should consider. These chief technologist certifications include IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) and Certified Radiological Technologist.
What education do you need to become a chief technologist?
What degree do you need to be a chief technologist?
- Bachelor's, 51%
- Associate, 23%
- Master's, 15%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a chief technologist?
- Medical Technician, 14%
- Business, 13%
- Computer Science, 12%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for chief technologists
| Chief technologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Maryland - College Park | 10.88% |
| University of Phoenix | 9.84% |
| Northeastern University | 6.74% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 5.70% |
| George Washington University, The | 5.70% |
Best majors for chief technologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 14.8% |
| 2 | Medical Technician | 14.2% |
| 3 | Business | 13.5% |
| 4 | Computer Science | 12.4% |
| 5 | Nuclear And Industrial Radiologic Technologies | 5.3% |
Best colleges for chief technologists
The best colleges for chief technologists are Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A chief technologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chief technologists. 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 chief technologists.
1. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
2. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
20 best online courses for chief technologists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for chief technologists
The most affordable schools for chief technologists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for chief technologists 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 chief technologists.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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 chief technologists
The hardest universities for chief technologists to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for chief technologists 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 chief technologists 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief technologists
The easiest schools for chief technologists to get into are Barry University, capitol technology university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief technologist 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 chief technologists.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
7. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
9. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
10. Lewis-Clark State College
Lewiston, ID • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,009
Average chief technologist salary by education level
| Chief technologist education level | Chief technologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $117,788 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $109,250 |
| Doctorate Degree | $120,627 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $88,587 |
Chief technologist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025