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Specimen technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a specimen technician. Specimen technicians usually study biology, medical assisting services, or business. 36% of specimen technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,201 real specimen technician resumes to see exactly what specimen technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for specimen technicians are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online specimen technician courses to help get the education required to be a specimen technician.
There are certain specimen technician certifications that you should consider. These specimen technician certifications include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
What education do you need to become a specimen technician?
What degree do you need to be a specimen technician?
- Bachelor's, 36%
- Associate, 27%
- High School Diploma, 16%
- Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 12%
What should I major in to become a specimen technician?
Most common colleges for specimen technicians
| Specimen technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 12.63% |
| University of New Mexico | 10.53% |
| University of Central Oklahoma | 7.37% |
| Monroe College | 7.37% |
| DeVry University | 6.32% |
Best majors for specimen technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 20.3% |
| 2 | Medical Assisting Services | 12.9% |
| 3 | Business | 11.5% |
| 4 | Health Care Administration | 7.4% |
| 5 | Nursing | 5.4% |
Best colleges for specimen technicians
The best colleges for specimen technicians are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A specimen 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 specimen 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 specimen technicians.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
20 best online courses for specimen technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for specimen technicians
The most affordable schools for specimen technicians are California State University - Bakersfield, hunter college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.
If the best universities for specimen 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 specimen technicians.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for specimen technicians
The hardest universities for specimen technicians to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for specimen 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 specimen 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for specimen technicians
The easiest schools for specimen technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a specimen 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 specimen technicians.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
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. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
Average specimen technician salary by education level
| Specimen technician education level | Specimen technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $45,188 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,926 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $43,706 |
| Doctorate Degree | $44,597 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $38,754 |
Specimen 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