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Laboratory technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a laboratory technician. Laboratory technicians usually study biology, chemistry, or business. 61% of laboratory technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 83,529 real laboratory technician resumes to see exactly what laboratory technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for laboratory technicians are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online laboratory technician courses to help get the education required to be a laboratory technician.
There are certain laboratory technician certifications that you should consider. These laboratory technician certifications include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT(AAB)).
What education do you need to become a laboratory technician?
What degree do you need to be a laboratory technician?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Associate, 18%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a laboratory technician?
Most common colleges for laboratory technicians
| Laboratory technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 8.43% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.71% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.02% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.85% |
| University of Iowa | 5.71% |
Best majors for laboratory technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 30.3% |
| 2 | Chemistry | 14.6% |
| 3 | Business | 6.8% |
| 4 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 5.4% |
| 5 | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | 4.2% |
Best colleges for laboratory technicians
The best colleges for laboratory technicians are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and New York University.
A laboratory 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 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 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of Vermont
Burlington, VT • Private
In-state tuition
$18,276
Enrollment
10,612
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
10. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
20 best online courses for laboratory technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for laboratory technicians
The most affordable schools for laboratory technicians are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for laboratory 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 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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for laboratory technicians
The hardest universities for laboratory technicians to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and New York University.
Some great schools for laboratory 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 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for laboratory technicians
The easiest schools for laboratory technicians to get into are Barry University, adventhealth university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a laboratory 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 technicians.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
7. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
Average laboratory technician salary by education level
| Laboratory technician education level | Laboratory technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $47,505 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,511 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,615 |
| Doctorate Degree | $46,750 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $39,403 |
Laboratory 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