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Clinical technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a clinical technician. Clinical technicians usually study nursing, biology, or medical assisting services. 40% of clinical technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,004 real clinical technician resumes to see exactly what clinical technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for clinical technicians are the Valencia College and the Valencia College.
There are also many online clinical technician courses to help get the education required to be a clinical technician.
There are certain clinical technician certifications that you should consider. These clinical technician certifications include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
What education do you need to become a clinical technician?
What degree do you need to be a clinical technician?
- Bachelor's, 40%
- Associate, 26%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 15%
What should I major in to become a clinical technician?
Most common colleges for clinical technicians
| Clinical technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Valencia College | 12.87% |
| George Mason University | 10.18% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.98% |
| University of Central Florida | 8.08% |
| Monroe College | 6.59% |
Best majors for clinical technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 21.3% |
| 2 | Biology | 11.4% |
| 3 | Medical Assisting Services | 11.3% |
| 4 | Medical Technician | 7.6% |
| 5 | Business | 7.1% |
Best colleges for clinical technicians
The best colleges for clinical technicians are New York University, Purdue University, and University of Connecticut.
A clinical 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 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 technicians.
1. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. Jefferson College of Health Sciences
Roanoke, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$26,886
Enrollment
774
4. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Enrollment
3,553
8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Enrollment
4,169
9. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$14,974
Enrollment
35,656
10. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$19,080
Enrollment
19,127
20 best online courses for clinical technicians
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11. Good Clinical Practice for Clinical Research Professionals
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12. Clinical Research for beginners
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13. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes
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14. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
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15. Certificate Course in Clinical Research (CCCR)
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16. Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
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17. Predictive Modeling and Transforming Clinical Practice
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18. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children
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19. Clinical Trials Data Management and Quality Assurance
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20. Making Data Science Work for Clinical Reporting
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Top 10 most affordable universities for clinical technicians
The most affordable schools for clinical technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for clinical 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 technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
7. Louisiana State University at Alexandria
Alexandria, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,668
Cost of attendance
14,488
8. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$9,233
Cost of attendance
18,110
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Cost of attendance
13,476
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clinical technicians
The hardest universities for clinical technicians to get into are New York University, Purdue University, and University of Connecticut.
Some great schools for clinical 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 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
2. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
3. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,318
4. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
5. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
6. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,367
7. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
60%
SAT average
1,303
8. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
9. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,326
10. Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,304
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clinical technicians
The easiest schools for clinical technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, gwynedd mercy university, and midwestern state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a clinical 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 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. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
4. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Pennsylvania State University - Shenango
Sharon, PA • Private
Admissions rate
75%
SAT average
989
9. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
10. Pennsylvania State University - Hazleton
Hazleton, PA • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,046
Average clinical technician salary by education level
| Clinical technician education level | Clinical technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $40,978 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $31,034 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $39,674 |
| Doctorate Degree | $40,458 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,307 |
Clinical 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