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Medical laboratory specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a medical laboratory specialist. Medical laboratory specialists usually study clinical/medical laboratory science, health sciences and services, or biology. 41% of medical laboratory specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 33% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 475 real medical laboratory specialist resumes to see exactly what medical laboratory specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for medical laboratory specialists are the George Washington University, The and the George Washington University, The.
There are also many online medical laboratory specialist courses to help get the education required to be a medical laboratory specialist.
There are certain medical laboratory specialist certifications that you should consider. These medical laboratory specialist certifications include Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT(AAB)) and Medical Labratory Technician (MLT).
What education do you need to become a medical laboratory specialist?
What degree do you need to be a medical laboratory specialist?
- Bachelor's, 41%
- Associate, 33%
- Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become a medical laboratory specialist?
- Biology, 9%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for medical laboratory specialists
| Medical laboratory specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| George Washington University, The | 57.26% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 5.98% |
| Trident University International | 2.56% |
| Arizona State University | 2.56% |
| Cameron University | 2.56% |
Best majors for medical laboratory specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | 35.2% |
| 2 | Health Sciences And Services | 14.6% |
| 3 | Biology | 9.0% |
| 4 | Medical Technician | 5.2% |
| 5 | Chemistry | 4.9% |
Best colleges for medical laboratory specialists
The best colleges for medical laboratory specialists are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
A medical laboratory specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for medical laboratory specialists. 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 medical laboratory specialists.
1. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for medical laboratory specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for medical laboratory specialists
The most affordable schools for medical laboratory specialists are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for medical laboratory specialists 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 medical laboratory specialists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for medical laboratory specialists
The hardest universities for medical laboratory specialists to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for medical laboratory specialists 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 medical laboratory specialists 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Tulane University
New Orleans, LA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,428
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for medical laboratory specialists
The easiest schools for medical laboratory specialists to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a medical laboratory specialist 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 medical laboratory specialists.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
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. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
5. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
8. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
9. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
10. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
Average medical laboratory specialist salary by education level
| Medical laboratory specialist education level | Medical laboratory specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,316 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $44,117 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,299 |
| Doctorate Degree | $58,537 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $50,611 |
Medical laboratory specialist 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