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Substance abuse technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a substance abuse technician. Substance abuse technicians usually study psychology, criminal justice, or social work. 46% of substance abuse technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 894 real substance abuse technician resumes to see exactly what substance abuse technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for substance abuse technicians are the Missouri State University and the Missouri State University.
There are also many online substance abuse technician courses to help get the education required to be a substance abuse technician.
There are certain substance abuse technician certifications that you should consider. These substance abuse technician certifications include Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) and Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT).
What education do you need to become a substance abuse technician?
What degree do you need to be a substance abuse technician?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Associate, 25%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Master's, 9%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become a substance abuse technician?
- Psychology, 24%
- Criminal Justice, 12%
- Social Work, 10%
- Human Services, 9%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for substance abuse technicians
| Substance abuse technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Missouri State University | 10.48% |
| University of Central Missouri | 9.52% |
| University of Phoenix | 9.52% |
| University of South Florida | 6.67% |
| Northeastern State University | 6.67% |
Best majors for substance abuse technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 24.3% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 11.6% |
| 3 | Social Work | 9.9% |
| 4 | Human Services | 8.6% |
| 5 | Business | 7.8% |
Best colleges for substance abuse technicians
The best colleges for substance abuse technicians are Boston College, Northeastern University, and New York University.
A substance abuse 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 substance abuse 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 substance abuse technicians.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Enrollment
34,637
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
8. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
9. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for substance abuse technicians
Advertising disclosure
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2. Population Health: Syndemics
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3. Addiction & Mental Health (Dual Diagnosis) Integrative 12hrs
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions: Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health - Integrative Holistic Approach...
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Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions - Understand Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health. How to help people...
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7. Crisis Intervention Seminar
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14. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): The Complete Course
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)...
15. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) Certificate
Become a Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) practitioner and help people improve their mental health...
16. Abnormal Behavior & Clinical Psychology (Certificate)
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17. Blender & Substance: Modeling and texturing videogame props
Learn the complete workflow of the models for videogames and create ¡five assets! using Blender and Substance Painter...
18. [Accredited] Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Counselor
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19. Active Directory & Group Policy Administration for IT Techs
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20. NEW! Substance Painter All Levels Volume 1
A comprehensive walkthrough in 3D texturing using the latest software in game production workflows...
Top 10 most affordable universities for substance abuse technicians
The most affordable schools for substance abuse technicians are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for substance abuse 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 substance abuse technicians.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
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 substance abuse technicians
The hardest universities for substance abuse technicians to get into are Boston College, Northeastern University, and New York University.
Some great schools for substance abuse 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 substance abuse 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. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
2. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
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. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for substance abuse technicians
The easiest schools for substance abuse technicians to get into are Nyack College, bluefield college, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a substance abuse 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 substance abuse technicians.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
9. Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,080
10. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
Average substance abuse technician salary by education level
| Substance abuse technician education level | Substance abuse technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $40,176 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $32,956 |
Substance abuse technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025