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Data collection technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a data collection technician. Data collection technicians usually study business, geography, or computer science. 53% of data collection technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 287 real data collection technician resumes to see exactly what data collection technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for data collection technicians are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online data collection technician courses to help get the education required to be a data collection technician.
What education do you need to become a data collection technician?
What degree do you need to be a data collection technician?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Associate, 26%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a data collection technician?
- Business, 15%
- Geography, 14%
- Computer Science, 7%
- Other Majors, 58%
Most common colleges for data collection technicians
| Data collection technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 11.43% |
| New Mexico State University | 8.57% |
| Troy University | 5.71% |
| The Art Institute of Phoenix | 5.71% |
| Appalachian State University | 5.71% |
Best majors for data collection technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 14.8% |
| 2 | Geography | 14.1% |
| 3 | Computer Science | 7.0% |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering | 6.3% |
| 5 | General Studies | 5.5% |
Best colleges for data collection technicians
The best colleges for data collection technicians are Northwestern University, Boston University, and University of Maryland - College Park.
A data collection 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 data collection 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 data collection technicians.
1. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
2. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
3. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
4. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$14,974
Enrollment
35,656
5. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$19,080
Enrollment
19,127
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. Tarleton State University
Stephenville, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$7,292
Enrollment
11,312
8. University of Vermont
Burlington, VT • Private
In-state tuition
$18,276
Enrollment
10,612
9. Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$14,460
Enrollment
39,208
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for data collection technicians
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1. AWS: Data Collection Systems
AWS: Data Collection Systems Course is the first course of the AWS Certified Data Analytics Speciality Specialization. This Course is designed to describe data collection systems and their characteristics in detail. This course is basically divided into three modules and each module is further segmented by Lessons and Video Lectures. This course facilitates learners with approximately 3:30-4:00 Hours Video lectures that provide both Theory and Hands -On knowledge. Also, Graded and Ungraded Quiz...
2. Survey Data Collection and Analytics
This specialization covers the fundamentals of surveys as used in market research, evaluation research, social science and political research, official government statistics, and many other topic domains. In six courses, you will learn the basics of questionnaire design, data collection methods, sampling design, dealing with missing values, making estimates, combining data from different sources, and the analysis of survey data. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned...
3. Complete Data Wrangling & Data Visualisation With Python
Learn to Preprocess, Wrangle and Visualise Data For Practical Data Science Applications in Python...
4. Fundamentals of Data Analysis for Big Data
This course prepares participants to begin running data analysis on databases...
5. Framework for Data Collection and Analysis
This course will provide you with an overview over existing data products and a good understanding of the data collection landscape. With the help of various examples you will learn how to identify which data sources likely matches your research question, how to turn your research question into measurable pieces, and how to think about an analysis plan. Furthermore this course will provide you with a general framework that allows you to not only understand each step required for a successful...
6. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales
How to Process Survey Data and Analyze Likert Scales In SPSS...
7. Core Spatial Data Analysis: Introductory GIS with R and QGIS
Become Proficient In Spatial Data Analysis Using R & QGIS By Working On A Real Project - Get A Job In Spatial Data!...
8. Java Collections from basics to Advanced
Data Structure using Java Collection Framework - Including Concurrent Collections, Streams, Generics, Parallel Streams...
9. The Data Science Course: Complete Data Science Bootcamp 2023
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10. Data Science:Data Mining & Natural Language Processing in R
Harness the Power of Machine Learning in R for Data/Text Mining, & Natural Language Processing with Practical Examples...
11. Data Analysis with Pandas and Python
Analyze data quickly and easily with Python's powerful pandas library! All datasets included --- beginners welcome!...
12. R Programming: Advanced Analytics In R For Data Science
Take Your R & R Studio Skills To The Next Level. Data Analytics, Data Science, Statistical Analysis in Business, GGPlot2...
13. Statistics / Data Analysis in SPSS: Inferential Statistics
Increase Your Data Analytic Skills – Highly Valued And Sought After By Employers...
14. The Data Analyst Course: Complete Data Analyst Bootcamp
Complete Data Analyst Training: Python, Num Py, Pandas, Data Collection, Preprocessing, Data Types, Data Visualization...
15. Data Entry Skills: A Complete Data Entry Course from Scratch
A Complete Guide to Data Entry Skills: Learn Data Entry Skills and become a Data Entry Pro & Get a Online Data Entry Job...
16. Applied Statistical Modeling for Data Analysis in R
Your Complete Guide to Statistical Data Analysis and Visualization For Practical Applications in R...
17. Statistics for Data Analysis Using R
Learn Programming in R & R Studio • Descriptive, Inferential Statistics • Plots for Data Visualization • Data Science...
18. Introduction to Machine Learning for Data Science
A primer on Machine Learning for Data Science. Revealed for everyday people, by the Backyard Data Scientist...
19. R Level 1 - Data Analytics with R
Use R for Data Analytics and Data Mining...
20. Data Analysis Excel for Beginners: Statistical Data Analysis
Data Analysis with Excel 2013 for Beginners. Business Data Analysis. Statistical Data Analysis with Case Studies...
Top 10 most affordable universities for data collection technicians
The most affordable schools for data collection technicians are Hunter College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for data collection 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 data collection 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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
6. Louisiana State University at Alexandria
Alexandria, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,668
Cost of attendance
14,488
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. The University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,360
Cost of attendance
16,595
10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for data collection technicians
The hardest universities for data collection technicians to get into are Northwestern University, Boston University, and University of Maryland - College Park.
Some great schools for data collection 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 data collection 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
4. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,318
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
7. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,367
8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
60%
SAT average
1,303
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
10. Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,304
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for data collection technicians
The easiest schools for data collection technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, midwestern state university, and san francisco state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a data collection 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 data collection technicians.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
3. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
6. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
7. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,148
8. Rhode Island College
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
73%
SAT average
994
9. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
10. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
Average data collection technician salary by education level
| Data collection technician education level | Data collection technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $62,494 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $45,996 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $60,305 |
| Doctorate Degree | $61,621 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,028 |
Data collection technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025