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Diagnostic technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a diagnostic technician. Diagnostic technicians usually study medical technician, automotive technology, or electrical engineering. 41% of diagnostic technicians hold a associate degree, and 30% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,918 real diagnostic technician resumes to see exactly what diagnostic technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for diagnostic technicians are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online diagnostic technician courses to help get the education required to be a diagnostic technician.
There are certain diagnostic technician certifications that you should consider. These diagnostic technician certifications include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma).
What education do you need to become a diagnostic technician?
What degree do you need to be a diagnostic technician?
- Associate, 41%
- Bachelor's, 30%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 11%
What should I major in to become a diagnostic technician?
- Medical Technician, 17%
- Business, 9%
- Other Majors, 44%
Most common colleges for diagnostic technicians
| Diagnostic technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 12.22% |
| Midwestern State University | 11.11% |
| DeVry University | 6.67% |
| University of Louisiana at Monroe | 6.67% |
| University of Memphis | 5.56% |
Best majors for diagnostic technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Technician | 16.7% |
| 2 | Automotive Technology | 16.1% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 14.2% |
| 4 | Business | 9.0% |
| 5 | Biology | 6.1% |
Best colleges for diagnostic technicians
The best colleges for diagnostic technicians are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A diagnostic 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 diagnostic 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 diagnostic technicians.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$6,686
Enrollment
11,139
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
4. Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Carbondale, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$14,704
Enrollment
9,447
5. Baker College
Owosso, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$9,800
Enrollment
8,319
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
8. Arkansas State University
Jonesboro, AR • Private
In-state tuition
$8,607
Enrollment
8,623
9. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,785
Enrollment
7,711
10. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
20 best online courses for diagnostic technicians
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6. Visualizing the Living Body: Diagnostic Imaging
This course teaches learners the underlying principles behind conventional radiography, computerized axial tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound. The radiology of chest, abdomen, pelvis, extremities, spine and brain are taught in this course using a combination of lectures and extensive practical activities and assessments. By the end of the course you will be able to: Describe the principles of conventional radiography, CT MRI and ultrasound Describe systematic...
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16. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
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17. Learn JMETER from Scratch on Live Apps -Performance Testing
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18. Become a Microbiology Laboratory Technician
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19. IT Support Technical Skills Bootcamp
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20. JMETER - Master Performance & Load Testing(Basics + Advance)
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Top 10 most affordable universities for diagnostic technicians
The most affordable schools for diagnostic technicians are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for diagnostic 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 diagnostic technicians.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for diagnostic technicians
The hardest universities for diagnostic technicians to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for diagnostic 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 diagnostic 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for diagnostic technicians
The easiest schools for diagnostic technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, oregon institute of technology, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a diagnostic 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 diagnostic technicians.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,068
8. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
9. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
10. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona
Altoona, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,094
Average diagnostic technician salary by education level
| Diagnostic technician education level | Diagnostic technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $58,373 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,856 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $52,244 |
Diagnostic 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