Post job

Tissue technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a tissue technician. Tissue technicians usually study biology, medical technician, or criminal justice. 58% of tissue technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 362 real tissue technician resumes to see exactly what tissue technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for tissue technicians are the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Rochester Institute of Technology.

There are also many online tissue technician courses to help get the education required to be a tissue technician.

There are certain tissue technician certifications that you should consider. These tissue technician certifications include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

What education do you need to become a tissue technician?

What degree do you need to be a tissue technician?

The most common degree for tissue technicians is bachelor's degree, with 58% of tissue technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 58%
  • Associate, 17%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 12%

What should I major in to become a tissue technician?

You should major in biology to become a tissue technician. 31% of tissue technicians major in biology. Other common majors for a tissue technician include medical technician and criminal justice.

Most common colleges for tissue technicians

Tissue technicians often get their degrees at Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Connecticut, and University of New Haven. Here are the most common colleges for tissue technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Tissue technician common collegePercentages
Rochester Institute of Technology8.33%
University of Connecticut6.25%
University of New Haven6.25%
East Tennessee State University6.25%
University of Wisconsin - Madison6.25%

Best majors for tissue technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Biology30.9%
2Medical Technician19.1%
3Criminal Justice4.3%
4Nursing4.3%
5Chemistry3.7%

Best colleges for tissue technicians

The best colleges for tissue technicians are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and New York University.

A tissue 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 tissue 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 tissue technicians.

1. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

2. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

6. University of Vermont

Burlington, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$18,276

Enrollment

10,612

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

8. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for tissue technicians

Advertising disclosure

1. Pharmacy Technician Fundamentals

coursera

In this foundational Pharmacy Technician Career Training Specialization, students will take four courses to master the fundamentals of a career in pharmacy. The first two courses teach how to communicate and engage professionally in any healthcare setting and the necessary knowledge of human anatomy and physiology required for any medical role. Next, students dive into two pharmacy-related courses - Pharmacy Technician Essentials and Pharmacy Dosages & Prescriptions Essentials - to round out...

2. MRI Fundamentals

coursera

Welcome! In this course learners will develop expertise in basic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) physics and principles and gain knowledge of many different data acquisition strategies in MRI. In particular, learners will get to know what is magnetic resonance phenomenon, how magnetic resonance signals are generated, how an image can be formulated using MRI, how soft tissue contrast can change with imaging parameters. Also introduced will be MR imaging sequences of spin echo, gradient echo,...

3. Deep Tissue Massage: Trigger Point Therapy Certificate

udemy
4.7
(254)

Deep Tissue Trigger Point Massage Therapy is a proven approach for the relief of soft-tissue pain and dysfunction (2CEU)...

4. Deep Tissue Massage: Neuromuscular Therapy Certificate

udemy
4.4
(282)

Neuromuscular Therapy is a highly effective form of Deep Tissue Massage for pain relief (2 CEUs)...

5. Anatomy & Physiology: Levels of Organization

coursera

This course will provide a basic introduction to the human body. It will examine common organizational patterns and terms in anatomy. It will also provide a micro-level view of essential elements and compounds at the atomical and molecular level before expanding to the cellular and tissue levels. Finally, we will look at how tissue can form organs and even an entire organ system with the skin through our look at the Integumentary System. This course provides a strong foundation upon which the...

6. IASTM Deep Tissue Massage Certificate Course

udemy
4.5
(426)

Learn instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM), a popular Myofascial Massage treatment (2 CEUs)...

7. Deep Tissue Massage Certificate Course (5 CEU's)

udemy
4.7
(5,156)

Master Deep Tissue Massage and Other Advanced Massage Techniques from This Bestselling Deep Tissue Massage Course...

8. Deep Tissue Massage: Myofascial Release Certificate Course

udemy
4.7
(577)

This course will change how you think of Deep Tissue Massage using a whole body Myofascial approach (2 CEUs)...

9. Become a Pharmacy Technician

udemy
4.7
(2,374)

A Video Study Guide for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam...

10. Become a Microbiology Laboratory Technician

udemy
4
(339)

Microbiology...

11. Colombian Wood Therapy Course - Maderoterapia

udemy
4.3
(278)

Learn how to use Colombian Wood Therapy to help your clients reduce cellulite and melt fat...

12. Massage Therapy

udemy
4.6
(1,208)

Massage Therapy Course 101...

13. Oracle Database 12c Backup and Recovery using RMAN

udemy
4.6
(377)

Master using RMAN in performing backup and recovery activities on Oracle Databases. No course covers the same topics!...

14. IT/Desktop Computer Support- Troubleshooting for Technicians

udemy
4.2
(306)

Learn how to troubleshoot desktop computer issues as an IT Support Technician on real-world organisational networks...

15. Gua Sha- Tool Assisted Technique Certificate Course (4 CEU)

udemy
4.7
(2,394)

Gua Sha Massage-Learn how to treat your own pain, your family or your massage clients with this amazing technique !...

16. Acrylic Nail Technician Course for Beginners

udemy
4.7
(414)

Learn How to do Acrylic Nails and Modern Nail Art Designs from an Expert Instructor and Gain the Confidence to Win...

17. Bowen Therapy NO MASSAGE Healing Certificate Course (8CEU)

udemy
4.7
(863)

An incredible NO MASSAGE remedial therapy for massage therapists or anyone else that wants to learn how to heal people...

18. Nail technician, acrylic nail courses (by NailAdvisor)

udemy
4.6
(612)

Learn how to do stunning acrylic nails, sculpt durable nails and create beautiful nail shapes!...

19. How to Write Effortless Quality Procedures & SOPs for ISO

udemy
4.6
(360)

Write Professional Procedures. The only course with 1-on-1 online meeting with the instructor & e-mail support...

20. EssentialSQL: Stored Procedures Unpacked - Code in TSQL

udemy
4.6
(975)

Stored Procedures Database Programming, Write TSQL Server Stored Procs for Data Engineering, Data Analysis, and DBA's...

Top 10 most affordable universities for tissue technicians

The most affordable schools for tissue technicians are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for tissue 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 tissue 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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for tissue technicians

The hardest universities for tissue technicians to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and New York University.

Some great schools for tissue 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 tissue 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for tissue technicians

The easiest schools for tissue 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 tissue 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 tissue 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. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

10. Washington Adventist Hospital

Takoma Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

958

Average tissue technician salary by education level

Tissue technicians with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $43,035 annually. With a Doctorate degree, tissue technicians earn a median annual income of $42,531 compared to $41,769 for tissue technicians with an Bachelor's degree.
Tissue technician education levelTissue technician salary
Master's Degree$43,035
High School Diploma or Less$33,291
Bachelor's Degree$41,769
Doctorate Degree$42,531
Some College/ Associate Degree$37,504

Tissue technician education FAQs

Search for tissue technician jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs