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Clinical laboratory technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a clinical laboratory technician. Clinical laboratory technicians usually study biology, clinical/medical laboratory science, or medical technician. 63% of clinical laboratory technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,154 real clinical laboratory technician resumes to see exactly what clinical laboratory technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for clinical laboratory technicians are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online clinical laboratory technician courses to help get the education required to be a clinical laboratory technician.
There are certain clinical laboratory technician certifications that you should consider. These clinical laboratory technician certifications include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT(AAB)).
What education do you need to become a clinical laboratory technician?
What degree do you need to be a clinical laboratory technician?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 8%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a clinical laboratory technician?
- Biology, 28%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for clinical laboratory technicians
| Clinical laboratory technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 8.72% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 8.14% |
| University of Washington | 7.56% |
| George Washington University, The | 6.40% |
| San Francisco State University | 5.81% |
Best majors for clinical laboratory technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 27.8% |
| 2 | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | 19.2% |
| 3 | Medical Technician | 8.6% |
| 4 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 7.0% |
| 5 | Chemistry | 6.8% |
Best colleges for clinical laboratory technicians
The best colleges for clinical laboratory technicians are Northwestern University, New York University, and Vanderbilt University.
A clinical laboratory 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 clinical laboratory 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 clinical laboratory technicians.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
3. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
4. University of Vermont
Burlington, VT • Private
In-state tuition
$18,276
Enrollment
10,612
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
6. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
7. University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$18,499
Enrollment
12,668
8. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
20 best online courses for clinical laboratory technicians
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12. Good Clinical Practice for Clinical Research Professionals
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13. 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...
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15. Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
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20. Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics
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Top 10 most affordable universities for clinical laboratory technicians
The most affordable schools for clinical laboratory technicians are Hunter College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for clinical laboratory 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 clinical laboratory technicians.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clinical laboratory technicians
The hardest universities for clinical laboratory technicians to get into are Northwestern University, New York University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for clinical laboratory 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 clinical laboratory 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
10. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clinical laboratory technicians
The easiest schools for clinical laboratory technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, 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 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 clinical laboratory technicians.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
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. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
Average clinical laboratory technician salary by education level
| Clinical laboratory technician education level | Clinical laboratory technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $58,691 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $43,635 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,702 |
| Doctorate Degree | $57,898 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $50,071 |
Clinical laboratory technician 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