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Laboratory technician/phlebotomist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a laboratory technician/phlebotomist. Laboratory technician/phlebotomists usually study medical assisting services, nursing, or biology. 27% of laboratory technician/phlebotomists hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,981 real laboratory technician/phlebotomist resumes to see exactly what laboratory technician/phlebotomist education sections show.

The most common colleges for laboratory technician/phlebotomists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain laboratory technician/phlebotomist certifications that you should consider. These laboratory technician/phlebotomist certifications include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Phlebotomist.

What education do you need to become a laboratory technician/phlebotomist?

What degree do you need to be a laboratory technician/phlebotomist?

The most common degree for laboratory technician/phlebotomists is bachelor's degree, with 27% of laboratory technician/phlebotomists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 24% and associate degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 27%
  • Associate, 24%
  • Diploma, 14%
  • High School Diploma, 11%
  • Other Degrees, 24%

What should I major in to become a laboratory technician/phlebotomist?

You should major in medical assisting services to become a laboratory technician/phlebotomist. 18% of laboratory technician/phlebotomists major in medical assisting services. Other common majors for a laboratory technician/phlebotomist include nursing and biology.

Most common colleges for laboratory technician/phlebotomists

Laboratory technician/phlebotomists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Remington College, and Concorde Career College. Here are the most common colleges for laboratory technician/phlebotomists in the US based on their resumes.
Laboratory technician/phlebotomist common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix18.00%
Remington College11.00%
Concorde Career College6.00%
Pima Medical Institute6.00%
California State University - San Bernardino5.00%

Best majors for laboratory technician/phlebotomists

Best colleges for laboratory technician/phlebotomists

The best colleges for laboratory technician/phlebotomists are New York University, Purdue University, and University of Connecticut.

A laboratory technician/phlebotomist 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 technician/phlebotomists. 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 technician/phlebotomists.

1. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

3. Jefferson College of Health Sciences

Roanoke, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$26,886

Enrollment

774

4. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

5. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

6. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Enrollment

3,553

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

4,169

9. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$14,974

Enrollment

35,656

10. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$19,080

Enrollment

19,127

20 best online courses for laboratory technician/phlebotomists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for laboratory technician/phlebotomists

The most affordable schools for laboratory technician/phlebotomists are SUNY Farmingdale, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for laboratory technician/phlebotomists 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 technician/phlebotomists.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

7. Louisiana State University at Alexandria

Alexandria, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,668

Cost of attendance

14,488

8. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$9,233

Cost of attendance

18,110

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for laboratory technician/phlebotomists

The hardest universities for laboratory technician/phlebotomists to get into are New York University, Purdue University, and University of Connecticut.

Some great schools for laboratory technician/phlebotomists 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 technician/phlebotomists 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

2. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

3. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,318

4. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

5. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

6. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

7. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

60%

SAT average

1,303

8. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,326

10. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for laboratory technician/phlebotomists

The easiest schools for laboratory technician/phlebotomists to get into are AdventHealth University, gwynedd mercy university, and midwestern state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a laboratory technician/phlebotomist 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 technician/phlebotomists.

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. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

4. Washington Adventist Hospital

Takoma Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

958

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. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. Pennsylvania State University - Shenango

Sharon, PA • Private

Admissions rate

75%

SAT average

989

9. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

10. Pennsylvania State University - Hazleton

Hazleton, PA • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,046

Average laboratory technician/phlebotomist salary by education level

Laboratory technician/phlebotomists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $40,867 annually. With a Doctorate degree, laboratory technician/phlebotomists earn a median annual income of $40,410 compared to $39,718 for laboratory technician/phlebotomists with an Bachelor's degree.
Laboratory technician/phlebotomist education levelLaboratory technician/phlebotomist salary
Master's Degree$40,867
High School Diploma or Less$31,984
Bachelor's Degree$39,718
Doctorate Degree$40,410
Some College/ Associate Degree$35,837

Laboratory technician/phlebotomist 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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