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Lead radiologic technologist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a lead radiologic technologist. Lead radiologic technologists usually study medical technician, nuclear and industrial radiologic technologies, or military technology. 65% of lead radiologic technologists hold a associate degree, and 24% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 961 real lead radiologic technologist resumes to see exactly what lead radiologic technologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for lead radiologic technologists are the Pima Medical Institute and the Pima Medical Institute.

There are also many online lead radiologic technologist courses to help get the education required to be a lead radiologic technologist.

There are certain lead radiologic technologist certifications that you should consider. These lead radiologic technologist certifications include Certified Radiological Technologist and Registered Technologist - Computed Tomography (RTCT).

What education do you need to become a lead radiologic technologist?

What degree do you need to be a lead radiologic technologist?

The most common degree for lead radiologic technologists is associate degree, with 65% of lead radiologic technologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 24% and bachelor's degree degree at 3%.
  • Associate, 65%
  • Bachelor's, 24%
  • Master's, 3%
  • Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a lead radiologic technologist?

You should major in medical technician to become a lead radiologic technologist. 51% of lead radiologic technologists major in medical technician. Other common majors for a lead radiologic technologist include nuclear and industrial radiologic technologies and military technology.

Most common colleges for lead radiologic technologists

Lead radiologic technologists often get their degrees at Pima Medical Institute, Keiser University, and City College of New York of the City University of New York, The. Here are the most common colleges for lead radiologic technologists in the US based on their resumes.
Lead radiologic technologist common collegePercentages
Pima Medical Institute18.80%
Keiser University17.09%
City College of New York of the City University of New York, The8.55%
University of Phoenix5.13%
Midwestern State University4.27%

Best majors for lead radiologic technologists

Best colleges for lead radiologic technologists

The best colleges for lead radiologic technologists are University of Southern California, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A lead radiologic technologist 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 radiologic technologists. 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 radiologic technologists.

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. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

20 best online courses for lead radiologic technologists

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1. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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2. Visualizing the Living Body: Diagnostic Imaging

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This course teaches learners the underlying principles behind conventional radiography, computerized axial tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound. The radiology of chest, abdomen, pelvis, extremities, spine and brain are taught in this course using a combination of lectures and extensive practical activities and assessments. By the end of the course you will be able to: Describe the principles of conventional radiography, CT MRI and ultrasound Describe systematic...

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5. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff

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Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...

6. Introduction to Cataract Surgery

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9. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation

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10. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

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Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...

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13. Life, Health and Radiation

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17. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness

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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead radiologic technologists

The most affordable schools for lead radiologic technologists are Brigham Young University, minot state university, and florida international university.

If the best universities for lead radiologic technologists 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 radiologic technologists.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$8,604

Cost of attendance

20,618

7. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

8. Maine College of Health Professions

Lewiston, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$12,245

Cost of attendance

18,826

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Cost of attendance

24,718

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 lead radiologic technologists

The hardest universities for lead radiologic technologists to get into are University of Southern California, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for lead radiologic technologists 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 radiologic technologists 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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

5. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

8. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,326

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead radiologic technologists

The easiest schools for lead radiologic technologists to get into are AdventHealth University, life university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead radiologic technologist 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 radiologic technologists.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Canton, OH • Private

Admissions rate

75%

SAT average

1,085

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

10. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

Average lead radiologic technologist salary by education level

According to our data, lead radiologic technologists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $67,261 annually. Lead radiologic technologists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $64,019.
Lead radiologic technologist education levelLead radiologic technologist salary
Master's Degree$67,261
Bachelor's Degree$64,019
Some College/ Associate Degree$59,399

Lead radiologic technologist 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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