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Science technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a science technician. Science technicians usually study biology, geology, or environmental science. 69% of science technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,511 real science technician resumes to see exactly what science technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for science technicians are the Western Washington University and the Western Washington University.
There are also many online science technician courses to help get the education required to be a science technician.
What education do you need to become a science technician?
What degree do you need to be a science technician?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 11%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a science technician?
Most common colleges for science technicians
| Science technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Western Washington University | 8.05% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.38% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.38% |
| American University | 7.38% |
| Columbia Southern University | 6.04% |
Best majors for science technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 19.5% |
| 2 | Geology | 11.2% |
| 3 | Environmental Science | 11.2% |
| 4 | Chemistry | 8.7% |
| 5 | Business | 7.0% |
Best colleges for science technicians
The best colleges for science technicians are Harvard University, Duke University, and Stanford University.
A science 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 science 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 science technicians.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for science technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for science technicians
The most affordable schools for science 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 science 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 science 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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for science technicians
The hardest universities for science technicians to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for science 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 science 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. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for science technicians
The easiest schools for science technicians to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a science 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 science technicians.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
6. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
7. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
8. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average science technician salary by education level
| Science technician education level | Science technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $31,995 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $35,554 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $32,551 |
Science technician education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025