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Veterinary laboratory technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a veterinary laboratory technician. Veterinary laboratory technicians usually study medical assisting services, animal science, or biology. 42% of veterinary laboratory technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 40% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 156 real veterinary laboratory technician resumes to see exactly what veterinary laboratory technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for veterinary laboratory technicians are the Bridgewater College and the Bridgewater College.

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

What education do you need to become a veterinary laboratory technician?

What degree do you need to be a veterinary laboratory technician?

The most common degree for veterinary laboratory technicians is bachelor's degree, with 42% of veterinary laboratory technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 40% and associate degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 42%
  • Associate, 40%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a veterinary laboratory technician?

You should major in medical assisting services to become a veterinary laboratory technician. 24% of veterinary laboratory technicians major in medical assisting services. Other common majors for a veterinary laboratory technician include animal science and biology.

Most common colleges for veterinary laboratory technicians

Veterinary laboratory technicians often get their degrees at Bridgewater College, Southern Connecticut State University, and Purdue University. Here are the most common colleges for veterinary laboratory technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Veterinary laboratory technician common collegePercentages
Bridgewater College9.09%
Southern Connecticut State University6.06%
Purdue University6.06%
Central State University6.06%
Murray State University6.06%

Best majors for veterinary laboratory technicians

Best colleges for veterinary laboratory technicians

The best colleges for veterinary laboratory technicians are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A veterinary 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 veterinary 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 veterinary laboratory technicians.

1. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

2. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

4. University of Vermont

Burlington, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$18,276

Enrollment

10,612

5. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

6. University of New Hampshire

Durham, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$18,499

Enrollment

12,668

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for veterinary laboratory technicians

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1. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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2. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation

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4. Introduction to Medical Imaging

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5. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

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Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...

6. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale

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9. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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10. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness

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In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: (1) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR...

11. Medical Terminology

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12. How to Read Chest X-Ray - From Zero to Hero

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13. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative

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14. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course

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17. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes

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18. Medical Terminology 101

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20. Practical Regulatory Affairs 2020 - European Medical Devices

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Top 10 most affordable universities for veterinary laboratory technicians

The most affordable schools for veterinary laboratory technicians are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for veterinary 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 veterinary laboratory technicians.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

9. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for veterinary laboratory technicians

The hardest universities for veterinary laboratory technicians to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for veterinary 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 veterinary 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for veterinary laboratory technicians

The easiest schools for veterinary laboratory technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, barry university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a veterinary 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 veterinary laboratory technicians.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

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. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

9. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

10. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

Average veterinary laboratory technician salary by education level

According to our data, veterinary laboratory technicians with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $35,675 annually. Veterinary laboratory technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $35,290.
Veterinary laboratory technician education levelVeterinary laboratory technician salary
High School Diploma or Less$33,739
Bachelor's Degree$35,290
Some College/ Associate Degree$35,675

Veterinary laboratory technician education FAQs

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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.

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