Network communications technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a network communications technician. Network communications technicians usually study electrical engineering, electrical engineering technology, or business. 45% of network communications technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 33% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 345 real network communications technician resumes to see exactly what network communications technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for network communications technicians are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online network communications technician courses to help get the education required to be a network communications technician.

What education do you need to become a network communications technician?

What degree do you need to be a network communications technician?

The most common degree for network communications technicians is bachelor's degree, with 45% of network communications technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 33% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 45%

Associate, 33%

High School Diploma, 13%

Master's, 4%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a network communications technician?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a network communications technician. 16% of network communications technicians major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a network communications technician include electrical engineering technology and business.

Electrical Engineering, 16%

Electrical Engineering Technology, 12%

Business, 11%

Computer Information Systems, 9%

Other Majors, 52%

Most common colleges for network communications technicians

Network communications technicians often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and Missouri Western State University. Here are the most common colleges for network communications technicians in the US based on their resumes.

Network communications technician common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	16.00%
DeVry University	10.00%
Missouri Western State University	8.00%
University of Houston	6.00%
Remington College	6.00%

Show more common network communications technician colleges

Best majors for network communications technicians

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	15.8%
2	Electrical Engineering Technology	12.2%
3	Business	10.8%
4	Computer Information Systems	9.4%
5	Computer Networking	6.5%

Show more common network communications technician majors

Best colleges for network communications technicians

The best colleges for network communications technicians are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A network communications 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 network communications 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 network communications technicians.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Enrollment

2,120

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$33,950

Enrollment

4,254

20 best online courses for network communications technicians

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20. Python Network Programming - TCP/IP Socket Programming

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Top 10 most affordable universities for network communications technicians

The most affordable schools for network communications technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for network communications 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 network communications technicians.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for network communications technicians

The hardest universities for network communications technicians to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for network communications 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 network communications 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for network communications technicians

The easiest schools for network communications technicians to get into are Kean University, capitol technology university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a network communications 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 network communications technicians.

1. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

7. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

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

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

Average network communications technician salary by education level

According to our data, network communications technicians with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $58,421 annually. Network communications technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $56,270.

Network communications technician education level	Network communications technician salary
Master's Degree	$58,421
High School Diploma or Less	$49,995
Bachelor's Degree	$56,270
Some College/ Associate Degree	$50,678

Network communications technician education FAQs

What is the best college for Network Communications Technicians?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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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