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Research laboratory technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a research laboratory technician. Research laboratory technicians usually study biology, chemistry, or biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology. 72% of research laboratory technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,509 real research laboratory technician resumes to see exactly what research laboratory technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for research laboratory technicians are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online research laboratory technician courses to help get the education required to be a research laboratory technician.
There are certain research laboratory technician certifications that you should consider. These research laboratory technician certifications include Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT(AAB)) and Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
What education do you need to become a research laboratory technician?
What degree do you need to be a research laboratory technician?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Associate, 12%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a research laboratory technician?
- Biology, 39%
- Chemistry, 12%
- Biotechnology, 4%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for research laboratory technicians
| Research laboratory technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 7.91% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.11% |
| Texas A&M University | 7.11% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 6.72% |
| Michigan State University | 5.53% |
Best majors for research laboratory technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 39.0% |
| 2 | Chemistry | 12.3% |
| 3 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 9.2% |
| 4 | Biotechnology | 4.1% |
| 5 | Environmental Science | 4.0% |
Best colleges for research laboratory technicians
The best colleges for research laboratory technicians are Harvard University, Duke University, and Stanford University.
A research 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 research 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 research laboratory technicians.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for research laboratory technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for research laboratory technicians
The most affordable schools for research laboratory technicians are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for research 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 research laboratory technicians.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
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 research laboratory technicians
The hardest universities for research laboratory technicians to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for research 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 research 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
10. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research laboratory technicians
The easiest schools for research laboratory technicians to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a research 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 research laboratory technicians.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
9. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
10. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
Average research laboratory technician salary by education level
| Research laboratory technician education level | Research laboratory technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,104 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $38,294 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,606 |
Research laboratory technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025