Data network technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a data network technician. Data network technicians usually study computer science, information technology, or business. 35% of data network technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 34% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 262 real data network technician resumes to see exactly what data network technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for data network technicians are the Saint John Fisher College and the Saint John Fisher College.

There are also many online data network technician courses to help get the education required to be a data network technician.

What education do you need to become a data network technician?

What degree do you need to be a data network technician?

The most common degree for data network technicians is bachelor's degree, with 35% of data network technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 34% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 35%

Associate, 34%

High School Diploma, 13%

Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become a data network technician?

You should major in computer science to become a data network technician. 14% of data network technicians major in computer science. Other common majors for a data network technician include information technology and business.

Computer Science, 14%

Information Technology, 13%

Business, 11%

Electrical Engineering, 9%

Other Majors, 53%

Most common colleges for data network technicians

Data network technicians often get their degrees at Saint John Fisher College, Western Washington University, and Madison Campus of Herzing University. Here are the most common colleges for data network technicians in the US based on their resumes.

Data network technician common college	Percentages
Saint John Fisher College	10.71%
Western Washington University	7.14%
Madison Campus of Herzing University	7.14%
American University	7.14%
University of Phoenix	7.14%

Show more common data network technician colleges

Best majors for data network technicians

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	14.0%
2	Information Technology	13.0%
3	Business	11.0%
4	Electrical Engineering	9.0%
5	Communication	7.0%

Show more common data network technician majors

Best colleges for data network technicians

The best colleges for data network technicians are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanford University.

A data network 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 network 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 network technicians.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of California, Irvine

Irvine, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,700

Enrollment

29,722

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

8. Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$52,202

Enrollment

3,420

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,880

Enrollment

6,590

20 best online courses for data network technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for data network technicians

The most affordable schools for data network technicians are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and clayton state university.

If the best universities for data network 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 network technicians.

1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

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. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - East Bay

Hayward, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,983

Cost of attendance

21,371

6. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce

Mercedita, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,914

Cost of attendance

13,564

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Barranquitas

Barranquitas, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,479

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for data network technicians

The hardest universities for data network technicians to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for data network 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 network 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,412

10. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for data network technicians

The easiest schools for data network technicians to get into are Saint Martin's University, nyack college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a data network 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 network technicians.

1. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,148

9. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average data network technician salary by education level

According to our data, data network technicians with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $89,508 annually. Data network technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $85,334.

Data network technician education level	Data network technician salary
Master's Degree	$89,508
High School Diploma or Less	$73,416
Bachelor's Degree	$85,334
Some College/ Associate Degree	$74,693

Data network technician education FAQs

What is the best college for Data Network Technicians?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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