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Industrial hygiene technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an industrial hygiene technician. Industrial hygiene technicians usually study public health, environmental science, or biology. 60% of industrial hygiene technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 646 real industrial hygiene technician resumes to see exactly what industrial hygiene technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for industrial hygiene technicians are the Columbia Southern University and the Columbia Southern University.
There are also many online industrial hygiene technician courses to help get the education required to be an industrial hygiene technician.
There are certain industrial hygiene technician certifications that you should consider. These industrial hygiene technician certifications include Board Certified Environmental Engineer - Industrial Hygiene (BCEE) and OSHA Safety Certificate .
What education do you need to become an industrial hygiene technician?
What degree do you need to be an industrial hygiene technician?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Associate, 18%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become an industrial hygiene technician?
- Public Health, 16%
- Biology, 12%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for industrial hygiene technicians
| Industrial hygiene technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Columbia Southern University | 15.56% |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 8.89% |
| Shawnee State University | 5.56% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.56% |
| Eastern Kentucky University | 5.56% |
Best majors for industrial hygiene technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public Health | 15.8% |
| 2 | Environmental Science | 12.3% |
| 3 | Biology | 11.6% |
| 4 | Occupational Safety And Health | 8.4% |
| 5 | Business | 8.4% |
Best colleges for industrial hygiene technicians
The best colleges for industrial hygiene technicians are Duke University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
An industrial hygiene 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 industrial hygiene 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 industrial hygiene technicians.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
3. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$8,072
Enrollment
10,529
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
8. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
10. University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK • Private
In-state tuition
$6,657
Enrollment
4,657
20 best online courses for industrial hygiene technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for industrial hygiene technicians
The most affordable schools for industrial hygiene technicians are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for industrial hygiene 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 industrial hygiene 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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for industrial hygiene technicians
The hardest universities for industrial hygiene technicians to get into are Duke University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for industrial hygiene 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 industrial hygiene 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for industrial hygiene technicians
The easiest schools for industrial hygiene technicians to get into are Curry College, saint joseph's college of maine, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an industrial hygiene 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 industrial hygiene technicians.
1. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
2. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
5. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
6. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
7. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
9. Lourdes University
Sylvania, OH • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,069
10. Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,062
Average industrial hygiene technician salary by education level
| Industrial hygiene technician education level | Industrial hygiene technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,718 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $48,543 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,730 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,764 |
Industrial hygiene 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