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Lead clinical laboratory scientist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a lead clinical laboratory scientist. Lead clinical laboratory scientists usually study medical technician, clinical/medical laboratory science, or biology. 77% of lead clinical laboratory scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 93 real lead clinical laboratory scientist resumes to see exactly what lead clinical laboratory scientist education sections show.

The most common colleges for lead clinical laboratory scientists are the San Jose State University and the San Jose State University.

There are also many online lead clinical laboratory scientist courses to help get the education required to be a lead clinical laboratory scientist.

What education do you need to become a lead clinical laboratory scientist?

What degree do you need to be a lead clinical laboratory scientist?

The most common degree for lead clinical laboratory scientists is bachelor's degree, with 77% of lead clinical laboratory scientists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 77%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Associate, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a lead clinical laboratory scientist?

You should major in medical technician to become a lead clinical laboratory scientist. 35% of lead clinical laboratory scientists major in medical technician. Other common majors for a lead clinical laboratory scientist include clinical/medical laboratory science and biology.

Most common colleges for lead clinical laboratory scientists

Lead clinical laboratory scientists often get their degrees at San Jose State University, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and University of Akron. Here are the most common colleges for lead clinical laboratory scientists in the US based on their resumes.
Lead clinical laboratory scientist common collegePercentages
San Jose State University11.11%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey7.41%
University of Akron7.41%
University of Phoenix7.41%
University of Nebraska Medical Center7.41%

Best majors for lead clinical laboratory scientists

Best colleges for lead clinical laboratory scientists

The best colleges for lead clinical laboratory scientists are Duke University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.

A lead clinical laboratory scientist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for lead clinical laboratory scientists. 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 lead clinical laboratory scientists.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

10. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

20 best online courses for lead clinical laboratory scientists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead clinical laboratory scientists

The most affordable schools for lead clinical laboratory scientists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for lead clinical laboratory scientists 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 lead clinical laboratory scientists.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

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 lead clinical laboratory scientists

The hardest universities for lead clinical laboratory scientists to get into are Duke University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for lead clinical laboratory scientists 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 lead clinical laboratory scientists 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead clinical laboratory scientists

The easiest schools for lead clinical laboratory scientists to get into are D'Youville College, barry university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead clinical laboratory scientist 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 lead clinical laboratory scientists.

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. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

9. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average lead clinical laboratory scientist salary by education level

Lead clinical laboratory scientists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $86,664 annually. With a Master's degree, lead clinical laboratory scientists earn a median annual income of $81,469 compared to $79,466 for lead clinical laboratory scientists with an Bachelor's degree.
Lead clinical laboratory scientist education levelLead clinical laboratory scientist salary
Master's Degree$81,469
Bachelor's Degree$79,466
Doctorate Degree$86,664

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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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