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Clinical laboratory scientist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a clinical laboratory scientist. Clinical laboratory scientists usually study medical technician, clinical/medical laboratory science, or biology. 78% of clinical laboratory scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,097 real clinical laboratory scientist resumes to see exactly what clinical laboratory scientist education sections show.
The most common colleges for clinical laboratory scientists are the California State University - San Bernardino and the California State University - San Bernardino.
There are also many online clinical laboratory scientist courses to help get the education required to be a clinical laboratory scientist.
There are certain clinical laboratory scientist certifications that you should consider. These clinical laboratory scientist certifications include Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) and Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT(AAB)).
What education do you need to become a clinical laboratory scientist?
What degree do you need to be a clinical laboratory scientist?
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Associate, 9%
- Master's, 8%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a clinical laboratory scientist?
- Medical Technician, 31%
- Biology, 17%
- Microbiology, 7%
- Other Majors, 19%
Most common colleges for clinical laboratory scientists
| Clinical laboratory scientist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| California State University - San Bernardino | 13.81% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.72% |
| Saint Louis University | 6.34% |
| University of Maryland - Baltimore | 5.60% |
| San Jose State University | 5.60% |
Best majors for clinical laboratory scientists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Technician | 31.2% |
| 2 | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | 26.3% |
| 3 | Biology | 16.5% |
| 4 | Microbiology | 7.1% |
| 5 | Chemistry | 3.9% |
Best colleges for clinical laboratory scientists
The best colleges for clinical laboratory scientists are Northwestern University, Boston University, and Vanderbilt University.
A clinical laboratory scientist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for clinical laboratory scientists. 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 clinical laboratory scientists.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
2. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
3. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
4. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
6. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
20 best online courses for clinical laboratory scientists
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1. Predictive Modeling and Transforming Clinical Practice
This course teaches you the fundamentals of transforming clinical practice using predictive models. This course examines specific challenges and methods of clinical implementation, that clinical data scientists must be aware of when developing their predictive models...
2. Clinical Data Science
Are you interested in how to use data generated by doctors, nurses, and the healthcare system to improve the care of future patients? If so, you may be a future clinical data scientist!\n\nThis specialization provides learners with hands on experience in use of electronic health records and informatics tools to perform clinical data science. This series of six courses is designed to augment learner’s existing skills in statistics and programming to provide examples of specific challenges,...
3. Basic of Clinical Data Management
Clinical Data Management...
4. Good Clinical Practice ICH GCP for Clinical Research
Certification on ICH GCP E6 R2 Good Clinical Practice for Clinical Research The Only Complete Course You Can Find Online...
5. Clinical Natural Language Processing
This course teaches you the fundamentals of clinical natural language processing (NLP). In this course you will learn the basic linguistic principals underlying NLP, as well as how to write regular expressions and handle text data in R. You will also learn practical techniques for text processing to be able to extract information from clinical notes. Finally, you will have a chance to put your skills to the test with a real-world practical application where you develop text processing...
6. Clinical Trials Operations
This specialization is designed for individuals and teams that will be running or interacting with clinical trials. In four courses, learners will develop insights and build the skills they need to design, manage, and monitor clinical trials as well as analyze, document, and communicate the results. Learners will also learn best practices regarding ethics, safety, participant recruitment, regulatory compliance, and reporting standards. The core principles and skills of the specialization will...
7. The Beginners Course for Clinical Research
The Essentials of Clinical Trials - Clinical Research for Beginners...
8. The Simplest Guide to Clinical Trials Data Analysis with SAS
Step into the world of Pharmaceutical industry Clinical Trials Clinical Research Biostatistics Clinical SAS SAS...
9. Introduction to Clinical Data Science
This course will prepare you to complete all parts of the Clinical Data Science Specialization. In this course you will learn how clinical data are generated, the format of these data, and the ethical and legal restrictions on these data. You will also learn enough SQL and R programming skills to be able to complete the entire Specialization - even if you are a beginner programmer. While you are taking this course you will have access to an actual clinical data set and a free, online...
10. Clinical Trials Analysis, Monitoring, and Presentation
In this course, you’ll learn more advanced operational skills that you and your team need to run a successful clinical trial. You’ll learn about the computation of sample size and how to develop a sample size calculation that’s suitable for your trial design and outcome measures. You’ll also learn to use statistical methods to monitor your trial for safety, integrity, and efficacy. Next, you’ll learn how to report the results from your clinical trials through both journal articles and data...
11. Good Clinical Practice for Clinical Research Professionals
The Complete, Certified ICH GCP (R2 & R3) Course for Investigators, Study Coordinators, Sponsors, Monitors and Study staff...
12. Become a Microbiology Laboratory Technician
Microbiology...
13. Informed Clinical Decision Making using Deep Learning
This specialisation is for learners with experience in programming that are interested in expanding their skills in applying deep learning in Electronic Health Records and with a focus on how to translate their models into Clinical Decision Support Systems.\n\nThe main areas that would explore are:\n\nData mining of Clinical Databases: Ethics, MIMIC III database, International Classification of Disease System and definition of common clinical outcomes. Deep learning in Electronic Health...
14. Making Data Science Work for Clinical Reporting
This course is aimed to demonstate how principles and methods from data science can be applied in clinical reporting. By the end of the course, learners will understand what requirements there are in reporting clinical trials, and how they impact on how data science is used. The learner will see how they can work efficiently and effectively while still ensuring that they meet the needed standards...
15. Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
Key features of the GCP guideline, roles and responsibilities involved and the requirements of essential documentation...
16. Certificate Course in Clinical Research (CCCR)
A Clinical Research Course-ICH-GCP E6(R2), Clinical Trials, Essential Documents, Sponsor, Investigator, Pharmaceuticals...
17. Clinical Kidney, Pancreas and Islet Transplantation
Kidney transplantation is a major advance of modern medicine which provides high-quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease. What used to be an experimental, risky, and very limited treatment option more than 50 years ago is now routinely performed in many countries worldwide. The number of renal transplants is expected to rise sharply in the next decade since the proportion of patients with end stage renal disease is increasing. Are you interested in clinical kidney, pancreas...
18. Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials
In this course, you’ll learn how to design and carry out clinical trials. Each design choice has implications for the quality and validity of your results. This course provides you and your team with essential skills to evaluate options, make good design choices, and implement them within your trial. You’ll learn to control for bias, randomize participants, mask treatments and outcomes, identify errors, develop and test hypotheses, and define appropriate outcomes. Finally, a trial without...
19. Clinical Research for beginners
The Art of Publishing - Master Pub Med, Study design, Biostatistics, Journal choice, Manuscript writing & Referencing...
20. Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics
If you’ve ever skipped over the results section of a medical paper because terms like “confidence interval” or “p-value” go over your head, then you’re in the right place. You may be a clinical practitioner reading research articles to keep up-to-date with developments in your field or a medical student wondering how to approach your own research. Greater confidence in understanding statistical analysis and the results can benefit both working professionals and those undertaking research...
Top 10 most affordable universities for clinical laboratory scientists
The most affordable schools for clinical laboratory scientists are University of Florida, university of south florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for clinical laboratory scientists 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 clinical laboratory scientists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Cost of attendance
24,718
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clinical laboratory scientists
The hardest universities for clinical laboratory scientists to get into are Northwestern University, Boston University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for clinical laboratory scientists 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 clinical laboratory scientists 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
6. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
10. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clinical laboratory scientists
The easiest schools for clinical laboratory scientists to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a clinical laboratory scientist 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 clinical laboratory scientists.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
5. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
9. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average clinical laboratory scientist salary by education level
| Clinical laboratory scientist education level | Clinical laboratory scientist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $80,360 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $56,987 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $77,197 |
| Doctorate Degree | $79,136 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $66,837 |
Clinical laboratory scientist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025