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Geological technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a geological technician. Geological technicians usually study geology, business, or geography. 71% of geological technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 698 real geological technician resumes to see exactly what geological technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for geological technicians are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.
There are also many online geological technician courses to help get the education required to be a geological technician.
What education do you need to become a geological technician?
What degree do you need to be a geological technician?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a geological technician?
Most common colleges for geological technicians
| Geological technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Houston | 10.78% |
| University of Tulsa | 9.80% |
| Oklahoma State University | 8.82% |
| University of Oklahoma | 6.86% |
| Humboldt State University | 5.88% |
Best majors for geological technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geology | 54.3% |
| 2 | Business | 7.0% |
| 3 | Geography | 6.0% |
| 4 | Biology | 3.0% |
| 5 | Geological Engineering | 2.6% |
Best colleges for geological technicians
The best colleges for geological technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A geological 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 geological 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 geological technicians.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$50,340
Enrollment
5,301
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
10. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
20 best online courses for geological technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for geological technicians
The most affordable schools for geological technicians are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and minot state university.
If the best universities for geological 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 geological 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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
4. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for geological technicians
The hardest universities for geological technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for geological 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 geological 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
9. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for geological technicians
The easiest schools for geological technicians to get into are Wayland Baptist University, kean university, and pennsylvania state university - dubois.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a geological 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 geological technicians.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
4. Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
Lock Haven, PA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
1,020
5. Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,073
6. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
7. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
8. University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,050
9. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
10. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
Average geological technician salary by education level
| Geological technician education level | Geological technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,801 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $48,869 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,110 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,621 |
Geological technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025