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Laboratory support technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a laboratory support technician. Laboratory support technicians usually study biology, medical assisting services, or business. 47% of laboratory support technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,373 real laboratory support technician resumes to see exactly what laboratory support technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for laboratory support technicians are the Concorde Career College and the Concorde Career College.

There are also many online laboratory support technician courses to help get the education required to be a laboratory support technician.

There are certain laboratory support technician certifications that you should consider. These laboratory support technician certifications include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Phlebotomy Technician (PBT(ASCP)).

What education do you need to become a laboratory support technician?

What degree do you need to be a laboratory support technician?

The most common degree for laboratory support technicians is bachelor's degree, with 47% of laboratory support technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 24% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 47%
  • Associate, 24%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 13%

What should I major in to become a laboratory support technician?

You should major in biology to become a laboratory support technician. 19% of laboratory support technicians major in biology. Other common majors for a laboratory support technician include medical assisting services and business.

Most common colleges for laboratory support technicians

Laboratory support technicians often get their degrees at Concorde Career College, Barton College, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for laboratory support technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Laboratory support technician common collegePercentages
Concorde Career College8.08%
Barton College7.07%
University of Phoenix7.07%
Temple University6.06%
Colorado State University6.06%

Best majors for laboratory support technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Biology18.8%
2Medical Assisting Services9.2%
3Business8.0%
4Chemistry6.9%
5Nursing6.7%

Best colleges for laboratory support technicians

The best colleges for laboratory support technicians are Northwestern University, New York University, and Vanderbilt University.

A laboratory support 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 laboratory support 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 laboratory support technicians.

1. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

2. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. University of Vermont

Burlington, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$18,276

Enrollment

10,612

5. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

6. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

7. University of New Hampshire

Durham, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$18,499

Enrollment

12,668

8. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

20 best online courses for laboratory support technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for laboratory support technicians

The most affordable schools for laboratory support technicians are Hunter College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.

If the best universities for laboratory support 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 laboratory support 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. 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. 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. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for laboratory support technicians

The hardest universities for laboratory support technicians to get into are Northwestern University, New York University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for laboratory support 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 laboratory support 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

10. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for laboratory support technicians

The easiest schools for laboratory support technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a laboratory support 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 laboratory support technicians.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

Average laboratory support technician salary by education level

According to our data, laboratory support technicians with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $42,537 annually. Laboratory support technicians with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $41,964.
Laboratory support technician education levelLaboratory support technician salary
Master's Degree$42,537
High School Diploma or Less$31,647
Bachelor's Degree$41,099
Doctorate Degree$41,964
Some College/ Associate Degree$36,303

Laboratory support technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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