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Laboratory specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a laboratory specialist. Laboratory specialists usually study biology, chemistry, or business. 53% of laboratory specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,252 real laboratory specialist resumes to see exactly what laboratory specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for laboratory specialists are the Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia Commonwealth University.
There are also many online laboratory specialist courses to help get the education required to be a laboratory specialist.
There are certain laboratory specialist certifications that you should consider. These laboratory specialist certifications include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
What education do you need to become a laboratory specialist?
What degree do you need to be a laboratory specialist?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Associate, 19%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 9%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a laboratory specialist?
Most common colleges for laboratory specialists
| Laboratory specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 10.57% |
| Full Sail University | 8.13% |
| Arizona State University | 7.32% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.50% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 6.10% |
Best majors for laboratory specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 24.2% |
| 2 | Chemistry | 11.3% |
| 3 | Business | 9.3% |
| 4 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 5.6% |
| 5 | Psychology | 4.7% |
Best colleges for laboratory specialists
The best colleges for laboratory specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.
A laboratory specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for laboratory specialists. 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 laboratory specialists.
1. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
9. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
10. Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$40,651
Enrollment
3,495
20 best online courses for laboratory specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for laboratory specialists
The most affordable schools for laboratory specialists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for laboratory specialists 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 laboratory specialists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for laboratory specialists
The hardest universities for laboratory specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for laboratory specialists 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 laboratory specialists 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
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for laboratory specialists
The easiest schools for laboratory specialists to get into are D'Youville College, barry university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a laboratory specialist 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 laboratory specialists.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average laboratory specialist salary by education level
| Laboratory specialist education level | Laboratory specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $58,161 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $43,350 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,198 |
| Doctorate Degree | $57,403 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $49,682 |
Laboratory specialist 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