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Sterile technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sterile technician. Sterile technicians usually study business, dental assisting, or biology. 27% of sterile technicians hold a high school diploma, and 27% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 2,316 real sterile technician resumes to see exactly what sterile technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for sterile technicians are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online sterile technician courses to help get the education required to be a sterile technician.
There are certain sterile technician certifications that you should consider. These sterile technician certifications include Dental Assistant (RDA) and Medical Assistant.
What education do you need to become a sterile technician?
What degree do you need to be a sterile technician?
- High School Diploma, 27%
- Bachelor's, 27%
- Associate, 22%
- Diploma, 10%
- Other Degrees, 14%
What should I major in to become a sterile technician?
- Business, 12%
- Dental Assisting, 11%
- Biology, 11%
- Nursing, 10%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for sterile technicians
| Sterile technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.59% |
| Remington College | 5.88% |
| Brigham Young University | 5.88% |
| DeVry University | 5.88% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 5.88% |
Best majors for sterile technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 11.9% |
| 2 | Dental Assisting | 11.0% |
| 3 | Biology | 10.6% |
| 4 | Nursing | 9.8% |
| 5 | General Studies | 9.4% |
Best colleges for sterile technicians
The best colleges for sterile technicians are New York University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Boston University.
A sterile 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 sterile 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 sterile technicians.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
3. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
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. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
7. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
8. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
9. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
10. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$14,974
Enrollment
35,656
20 best online courses for sterile technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for sterile technicians
The most affordable schools for sterile technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for sterile 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 sterile technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sterile technicians
The hardest universities for sterile technicians to get into are New York University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Boston University.
Some great schools for sterile 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 sterile 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
1,336
8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
60%
SAT average
1,303
9. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,367
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,326
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sterile technicians
The easiest schools for sterile technicians to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, adventhealth university, and texas woman's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sterile 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 sterile technicians.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
3. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
6. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Weatherford, OK • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,085
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
Average sterile technician salary by education level
| Sterile technician education level | Sterile technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $42,102 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,381 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $38,745 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $36,775 |
Sterile technician education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare support questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025