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Finishing technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a finishing technician. Finishing technicians usually study business, general studies, or criminal justice. 39% of finishing technicians hold a high school diploma, and 21% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,839 real finishing technician resumes to see exactly what finishing technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for finishing technicians are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online finishing technician courses to help get the education required to be a finishing technician.
What education do you need to become a finishing technician?
What degree do you need to be a finishing technician?
- High School Diploma, 39%
- Bachelor's, 21%
- Associate, 20%
- Diploma, 13%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a finishing technician?
- Business, 22%
- General Studies, 10%
- Criminal Justice, 7%
- Psychology, 5%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for finishing technicians
| Finishing technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.47% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 10.53% |
| University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee | 10.53% |
| Hagerstown | 5.26% |
| University of Iowa | 5.26% |
Best majors for finishing technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 22.4% |
| 2 | General Studies | 9.7% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 6.8% |
| 4 | Psychology | 5.0% |
| 5 | Biology | 4.7% |
Best colleges for finishing technicians
The best colleges for finishing technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
A finishing 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 finishing 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 finishing technicians.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
7. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
10. Andrew College
Cuthbert, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,388
Enrollment
292
20 best online courses for finishing technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for finishing technicians
The most affordable schools for finishing technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for finishing 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 finishing technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
8. Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$7,879
Cost of attendance
21,223
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for finishing technicians
The hardest universities for finishing technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for finishing 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 finishing 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for finishing technicians
The easiest schools for finishing technicians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and manor college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a finishing 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 finishing technicians.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Manor College
Jenkintown, PA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
898
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
Average finishing technician salary by education level
| Finishing technician education level | Finishing technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,758 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,054 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $36,660 |
Finishing technician education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common production and manufacturing questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025