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Operating room technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an operating room technician. Operating room technicians usually study medical technician, nursing, or business. 34% of operating room technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 32% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,880 real operating room technician resumes to see exactly what operating room technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for operating room technicians are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online operating room technician courses to help get the education required to be an operating room technician.
There are certain operating room technician certifications that you should consider. These operating room technician certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Surgical Technologist (CST).
What education do you need to become an operating room technician?
What degree do you need to be an operating room technician?
- Bachelor's, 34%
- Associate, 32%
- High School Diploma, 15%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 11%
What should I major in to become an operating room technician?
- Medical Technician, 25%
- Nursing, 20%
- Business, 10%
- Biology, 9%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for operating room technicians
| Operating room technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 12.50% |
| Long Island University | 8.33% |
| St. Louis | 5.56% |
| Colorado Technical University | 5.56% |
| Western Washington University | 5.56% |
Best majors for operating room technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Technician | 24.8% |
| 2 | Nursing | 20.2% |
| 3 | Business | 9.7% |
| 4 | Biology | 8.8% |
| 5 | Health Care Administration | 5.1% |
Best colleges for operating room technicians
The best colleges for operating room technicians are New York University, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
An operating room 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 operating room 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 operating room technicians.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
3. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
4. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,570
Enrollment
3,721
5. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. Sacred Heart University
Fairfield, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$41,420
Enrollment
5,907
10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
20 best online courses for operating room technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for operating room technicians
The most affordable schools for operating room technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and minot state university.
If the best universities for operating room 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 operating room technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. Louisiana State University at Alexandria
Alexandria, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,668
Cost of attendance
14,488
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for operating room technicians
The hardest universities for operating room technicians to get into are New York University, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for operating room 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 operating room 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
5. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,307
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,326
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for operating room technicians
The easiest schools for operating room technicians to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, adventhealth university, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an operating room 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 operating room technicians.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
9. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
Average operating room technician salary by education level
| Operating room technician education level | Operating room technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $58,566 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,905 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $61,988 |
Operating room 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