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Test laboratory technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a test laboratory technician. Test laboratory technicians usually study electrical engineering, biology, or electrical engineering technology. 47% of test laboratory technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 34% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,050 real test laboratory technician resumes to see exactly what test laboratory technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for test laboratory technicians are the Michigan State University and the Michigan State University.
There are also many online test laboratory technician courses to help get the education required to be a test laboratory technician.
There are certain test laboratory technician certifications that you should consider. These test laboratory technician certifications include Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).
What education do you need to become a test laboratory technician?
What degree do you need to be a test laboratory technician?
- Bachelor's, 47%
- Associate, 34%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a test laboratory technician?
- Biology, 11%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for test laboratory technicians
| Test laboratory technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Michigan State University | 9.88% |
| Western Michigan University | 8.64% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.41% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.41% |
| El Paso | 4.94% |
Best majors for test laboratory technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 18.9% |
| 2 | Biology | 10.5% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 9.1% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 7.8% |
| 5 | Business | 7.4% |
Best colleges for test laboratory technicians
The best colleges for test laboratory technicians are Northwestern University, New York University, and Northeastern University.
A test laboratory 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 test laboratory 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 test laboratory technicians.
1. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Enrollment
4,169
3. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$19,080
Enrollment
19,127
4. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
5. University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$18,499
Enrollment
12,668
6. University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,000
Enrollment
25,973
7. Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Carbondale, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$14,704
Enrollment
9,447
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
9. New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$6,686
Enrollment
11,139
10. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
20 best online courses for test laboratory technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for test laboratory technicians
The most affordable schools for test laboratory technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for test laboratory 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 test laboratory technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Cost of attendance
13,476
9. Louisiana State University at Alexandria
Alexandria, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,668
Cost of attendance
14,488
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for test laboratory technicians
The hardest universities for test laboratory technicians to get into are Northwestern University, New York University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for test laboratory 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 test laboratory 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
6. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
7. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
8. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
10. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,318
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for test laboratory technicians
The easiest schools for test laboratory technicians to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, adventhealth university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a test laboratory 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 test laboratory technicians.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
5. Pennsylvania State University - Hazleton
Hazleton, PA • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,046
6. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
7. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
8. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,068
9. Pennsylvania State University - Berks
Reading, PA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,107
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
Average test laboratory technician salary by education level
| Test laboratory technician education level | Test laboratory technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,958 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,690 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,635 |
| Doctorate Degree | $59,030 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $49,980 |
Test laboratory 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