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Surgical technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a surgical technician. Surgical technicians usually study medical technician, nursing, or business. 49% of surgical technicians hold a associate degree, and 18% hold an diploma. We analyzed 33,391 real surgical technician resumes to see exactly what surgical technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for surgical technicians are the Concorde Career College and the Concorde Career College.
There are also many online surgical technician courses to help get the education required to be a surgical technician.
There are certain surgical technician certifications that you should consider. These surgical technician certifications include Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) and Certified Surgical Assistant.
What education do you need to become a surgical technician?
What degree do you need to be a surgical technician?
- Associate, 49%
- Diploma, 18%
- Bachelor's, 17%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a surgical technician?
- Medical Technician, 62%
- Nursing, 10%
- Business, 4%
- Other Majors, 21%
Most common colleges for surgical technicians
| Surgical technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Concorde Career College | 17.46% |
| Baker College | 9.48% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.73% |
| New England Institute of Technology | 4.63% |
| Long Island University | 4.42% |
Best majors for surgical technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Technician | 61.8% |
| 2 | Nursing | 9.8% |
| 3 | Business | 4.1% |
| 4 | Medical Assisting Services | 3.2% |
| 5 | Biology | 3.0% |
Best colleges for surgical technicians
The best colleges for surgical technicians are New York University, Emory University, and University of Connecticut.
A surgical 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 surgical 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 surgical technicians.
1. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Enrollment
3,553
4. Jefferson College of Health Sciences
Roanoke, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$26,886
Enrollment
774
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
7. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$14,974
Enrollment
35,656
8. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$19,080
Enrollment
19,127
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for surgical technicians
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12. European Sculptural Facial Massage Certificate Course (2023)
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13. The Critical Role of IT Support Staff in Healthcare
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14. Motivational Enhancement Techniques: Working with Patients with Opioid & Substance Use Disorders or High Risk Use MAT Waiver Training S...
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17. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children
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18. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
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Top 10 most affordable universities for surgical technicians
The most affordable schools for surgical technicians are Brigham Young University, suny farmingdale, and minot state university.
If the best universities for surgical 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 surgical technicians.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. Louisiana State University at Alexandria
Alexandria, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,668
Cost of attendance
14,488
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$9,233
Cost of attendance
18,110
10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Cost of attendance
13,476
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for surgical technicians
The hardest universities for surgical technicians to get into are New York University, Emory University, and University of Connecticut.
Some great schools for surgical 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 surgical 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. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
3. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,318
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,367
9. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
60%
SAT average
1,303
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,326
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for surgical technicians
The easiest schools for surgical technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, gwynedd mercy university, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a surgical 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 surgical 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. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
7. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
8. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
Average surgical technician salary by education level
| Surgical technician education level | Surgical technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $56,689 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $60,627 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $59,796 |
Surgical 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