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Patient Care Technician Education Requirements
Updated April 5, 2024
4 min read
Quoted Experts
Jason Mott Ph.D.,
Shelly Wells Ph.D.
The educational requirements for a patient care technician typically involve a high school diploma, with a significant number of professionals holding a Master's degree. According to Assistant Clinical Professor Sarah Comora from Merrimack College's Nursing Department, experience in the industry and Dementia training, along with BLS certification, are valuable skills for a patient care technician.
A career as a patient care technician offers diverse salary prospects, with variations across industries and settings. Comora notes that in the position of Certified Nursing Assistant, soft skills are highly beneficial during onboarding, as hard skills can be taught after hire. Associate Professor Jason Mott Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh's College of Nursing adds that nursing salaries are generally high, with ample opportunities for growth and advancement through further education.
What education do you need to become a patient care technician?
What degree do you need to be a patient care technician?
- Bachelor's, 27%
- Associate, 25%
- High School Diploma, 17%
- Diploma, 11%
- Other Degrees, 20%
What should I major in to become a patient care technician?
According to Shelly Wells, Chair and Professor of Nursing at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree can lead to expanded leadership opportunities and non-traditional nursing positions for patient care technicians.
Most common colleges for patient care technicians
| Patient Care Technician Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 17.24% |
| St. Louis | 8.92% |
| Monroe College | 7.48% |
| Remington College | 6.52% |
| Concorde Career College | 4.97% |
Best majors for patient care technicians
According to Shelly Wells, Chair and Professor of Nursing at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree can lead to expanded leadership opportunities and non-traditional nursing positions for patient care technicians.
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 35.9% |
| 2 | Medical Assisting Services | 11.7% |
| 3 | Business | 6.9% |
| 4 | Health Care Administration | 5.3% |
| 5 | General Studies | 5.3% |
Best colleges for patient care technicians
The top colleges for patient care technicians include Emory University, Case Western Reserve University, and New York University. These institutions matter for aspiring patient care technicians as a higher level of education, particularly a Master's degree, is preferred in the field. Attending these colleges can potentially lead to better job opportunities and higher earnings.
1. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
2. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
In-State Tuition
$49,042
Enrollment
5,131
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,872
Enrollment
3,553
5. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
6. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$19,080
Enrollment
19,127
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,283
Enrollment
11,892
9. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
In-State Tuition
$23,900
Enrollment
836
10. Rhode Island College
Providence, RI • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,929
Enrollment
6,480
20 best online courses for patient care technicians
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2. Trauma Emergencies and Care
Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...
3. Providing Trauma-Informed Care
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5. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness
In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: (1) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR...
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8. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative
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9. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers
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10. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes
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12. Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations
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14. Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care
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Top 10 most affordable universities for patient care technicians
The most affordable schools for patient care technicians are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for patient care 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 patient care technicians.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,182
Cost of Attendance
13,998
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,556
Cost of Attendance
19,434
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
7. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,064
Cost of Attendance
15,576
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,656
Cost of Attendance
21,623
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,886
Cost of Attendance
17,645
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$4,831
Cost of Attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for patient care technicians
The hardest universities for patient care technicians to get into are Case Western Reserve University, Emory University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for patient care 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 patient care 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. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
29%
SAT Average
1,443
2. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions Rate
19%
SAT Average
1,449
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
20%
SAT Average
1,419
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,513
6. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
29%
SAT Average
1,422
7. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
28%
SAT Average
1,429
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
19%
SAT Average
1,466
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions Rate
26%
SAT Average
1,427
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for patient care technicians
The easiest schools for patient care technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, nyack college, and ottawa university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a patient care 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 patient care technicians.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
87%
SAT Average
1,016
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
999
3. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions Rate
78%
SAT Average
1,024
4. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
52%
SAT Average
958
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions Rate
86%
SAT Average
991
6. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
97%
SAT Average
1,007
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
88%
SAT Average
1,044
8. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
9. Pennsylvania State University - Shenango
Sharon, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
75%
SAT Average
989
10. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
80%
SAT Average
1,067
Average patient care technician salary by education level
| Patient Care Technician education level | Patient Care Technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $35,758 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,565 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,271 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $32,647 |
Patient Care Technician Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated April 5, 2024
Updated April 5, 2024