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Medical laboratory technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a medical laboratory technician. Medical laboratory technicians usually study clinical/medical laboratory science, biology, or medical technician. 55% of medical laboratory technicians hold a associate degree, and 32% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 16,670 real medical laboratory technician resumes to see exactly what medical laboratory technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for medical laboratory technicians are the George Washington University, The and the George Washington University, The.
There are also many online medical laboratory technician courses to help get the education required to be a medical laboratory technician.
There are certain medical laboratory technician certifications that you should consider. These medical laboratory technician certifications include Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT(AAB)) and Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT).
What education do you need to become a medical laboratory technician?
What degree do you need to be a medical laboratory technician?
- Associate, 55%
- Bachelor's, 32%
- Master's, 4%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a medical laboratory technician?
- Biology, 10%
- Other Majors, 22%
Most common colleges for medical laboratory technicians
| Medical laboratory technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| George Washington University, The | 38.87% |
| University of Cincinnati | 6.01% |
| Weber State University | 4.22% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 3.71% |
| University of Phoenix | 3.71% |
Best majors for medical laboratory technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | 56.1% |
| 2 | Biology | 10.2% |
| 3 | Medical Technician | 8.7% |
| 4 | Health Sciences And Services | 3.0% |
| 5 | Chemistry | 2.6% |
Best colleges for medical laboratory technicians
The best colleges for medical laboratory technicians are New York University, Purdue University, and Northwestern University.
A medical 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 medical 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 medical laboratory technicians.
1. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
4. Jefferson College of Health Sciences
Roanoke, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$26,886
Enrollment
774
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
6. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
7. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Enrollment
3,553
9. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$14,974
Enrollment
35,656
10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Enrollment
4,169
20 best online courses for medical laboratory technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for medical laboratory technicians
The most affordable schools for medical laboratory technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, louisiana state university at alexandria, and purdue university.
If the best universities for medical 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 medical laboratory technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Louisiana State University at Alexandria
Alexandria, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,668
Cost of attendance
14,488
3. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$9,233
Cost of attendance
18,110
7. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Tifton, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$3,503
Cost of attendance
12,843
8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Cost of attendance
13,476
9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for medical laboratory technicians
The hardest universities for medical laboratory technicians to get into are New York University, Purdue University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for medical 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 medical 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. 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,367
5. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
6. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
60%
SAT average
1,303
7. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,318
8. Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
1,261
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,269
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for medical laboratory technicians
The easiest schools for medical laboratory technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, midwestern state university, and washington adventist hospital.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a medical 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 medical laboratory technicians.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
3. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
6. Mount Aloysius College
Cresson, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Pennsylvania State University - Hazleton
Hazleton, PA • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,046
8. University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,062
9. Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Weatherford, OK • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,085
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average medical laboratory technician salary by education level
| Medical laboratory technician education level | Medical laboratory technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,958 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $44,450 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,907 |
| Doctorate Degree | $59,140 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,074 |
Medical 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