Network Technician Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a network technician. Network technicians usually study computer science, computer information systems, or business. 50% of network technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 32% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 41,225 real network technician resumes to see exactly what network technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for network technicians are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.

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

There are certain network technician certifications that you should consider. These network technician certifications include CompTIA Network+ and Network 5 Certification.

What education do you need to become a network technician?

What degree do you need to be a network technician?

The most common degree for network technicians is bachelor's degree, with 50% of network technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 32% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 50%

Associate, 32%

Master's, 7%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a network technician?

You should major in computer science to become a network technician. 16% of network technicians major in computer science. Other common majors for a network technician include computer information systems and business.

Computer Science, 16%

Computer Information Systems, 13%

Business, 12%

Information Technology, 11%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for network technicians

Network technicians often get their degrees at DeVry University, University of Phoenix, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for network technicians in the US based on their resumes.

Network Technician Common College	Percentages
DeVry University	20.67%
University of Phoenix	20.35%
University of Maryland - College Park	7.15%
Strayer University	6.90%
Western Washington University	4.44%

Show more common network technician colleges

Best majors for network technicians

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	15.6%
2	Computer Information Systems	13.4%
3	Business	12.0%
4	Information Technology	11.1%
5	Electrical Engineering	9.6%

Show more common network technician majors

Best colleges for network technicians

The best colleges for network technicians are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanford University.

A network 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 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 technicians.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of California, Irvine

Irvine, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$13,700

Enrollment

29,722

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

8. Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, NJ • Private

In-State Tuition

$52,202

Enrollment

3,420

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-State Tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,880

Enrollment

6,590

20 best online courses for network technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for network technicians

The most affordable schools for network technicians are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and clayton state university.

If the best universities for network 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 technicians.

1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,240

Cost of Attendance

13,991

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. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,419

Cost of Attendance

17,697

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,620

Cost of Attendance

18,136

5. California State University - East Bay

Hayward, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,983

Cost of Attendance

21,371

6. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,338

Cost of Attendance

14,281

7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce

Mercedita, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,914

Cost of Attendance

13,564

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,940

Cost of Attendance

13,508

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,992

Cost of Attendance

22,430

10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Barranquitas

Barranquitas, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,902

Cost of Attendance

13,479

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for network technicians

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

Some great schools for network 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 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

17%

SAT Average

1,507

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

SAT Average

1,497

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions Rate

SAT Average

1,508

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

13%

SAT Average

1,445

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

22%

SAT Average

1,420

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

20%

SAT Average

1,419

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions Rate

10%

SAT Average

1,514

9. Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, NJ • Private

Admissions Rate

41%

SAT Average

1,412

10. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

43%

SAT Average

1,415

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

The easiest schools for network technicians to get into are Saint Martin's University, nyack college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions Rate

96%

SAT Average

1,111

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

98%

SAT Average

999

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions Rate

68%

SAT Average

964

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions Rate

91%

SAT Average

1,006

5. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions Rate

81%

SAT Average

1,117

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

99%

SAT Average

1,008

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions Rate

86%

SAT Average

991

8. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions Rate

91%

SAT Average

1,148

9. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions Rate

69%

SAT Average

1,070

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions Rate

71%

SAT Average

1,035

Average network technician salary by education level

According to our data, network technicians with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $76,609 annually. Network technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $74,185.

Network Technician education level	Network Technician salary
Master's Degree	$76,609
High School Diploma or Less	$67,042
Bachelor's Degree	$74,185
Some College/ Associate Degree	$67,824

Network Technician Education FAQs

What is the best college for Network 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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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