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Senior laboratory specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior laboratory specialist. Senior laboratory specialists usually study biology, electrical engineering, or biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology. 52% of senior laboratory specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 224 real senior laboratory specialist resumes to see exactly what senior laboratory specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior laboratory specialists are the Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia Commonwealth University.

There are also many online senior laboratory specialist courses to help get the education required to be a senior laboratory specialist.

What education do you need to become a senior laboratory specialist?

What degree do you need to be a senior laboratory specialist?

The most common degree for senior laboratory specialists is bachelor's degree, with 52% of senior laboratory specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 15%.
  • Bachelor's, 52%
  • Associate, 25%
  • Master's, 15%
  • Doctorate, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a senior laboratory specialist?

You should major in biology to become a senior laboratory specialist. 26% of senior laboratory specialists major in biology. Other common majors for a senior laboratory specialist include electrical engineering and biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology.

Most common colleges for senior laboratory specialists

Senior laboratory specialists often get their degrees at Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Virginia, and University of Richmond. Here are the most common colleges for senior laboratory specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Senior laboratory specialist common collegePercentages
Virginia Commonwealth University11.63%
University of Virginia11.63%
University of Richmond9.30%
Brigham Young University6.98%
DeVry University6.98%

Best majors for senior laboratory specialists

Best colleges for senior laboratory specialists

The best colleges for senior laboratory specialists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

A senior laboratory specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior laboratory specialists. 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 senior laboratory specialists.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

9. Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$40,651

Enrollment

3,495

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for senior laboratory specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior laboratory specialists

The most affordable schools for senior laboratory specialists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for senior laboratory specialists 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 senior laboratory specialists.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

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. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior laboratory specialists

The hardest universities for senior laboratory specialists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for senior laboratory specialists 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 senior laboratory specialists 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior laboratory specialists

The easiest schools for senior laboratory specialists to get into are Barry University, d'youville college, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior laboratory specialist 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 senior laboratory specialists.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average senior laboratory specialist salary by education level

Senior laboratory specialists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $62,930 annually. With a Doctorate degree, senior laboratory specialists earn a median annual income of $62,200 compared to $61,096 for senior laboratory specialists with an Bachelor's degree.
Senior laboratory specialist education levelSenior laboratory specialist salary
Master's Degree$62,930
High School Diploma or Less$48,797
Bachelor's Degree$61,096
Doctorate Degree$62,200
Some College/ Associate Degree$54,912

Senior laboratory specialist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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