Medical Technologist Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a medical technologist. Medical technologists usually study medical technician, clinical/medical laboratory science, or biology. 63% of medical technologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 26,300 real medical technologist resumes to see exactly what medical technologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for medical technologists are the Michigan State University and the Michigan State University.

There are also many online medical technologist courses to help get the education required to be a medical technologist.

There are certain medical technologist certifications that you should consider. These medical technologist certifications include Medical Technologist (MT(AAB)) and Medical Assistant.

What education do you need to become a medical technologist?

What degree do you need to be a medical technologist?

The most common degree for medical technologists is bachelor's degree, with 63% of medical technologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Associate, 17%
  • Master's, 6%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a medical technologist?

You should major in medical technician to become a medical technologist. 31% of medical technologists major in medical technician. Other common majors for a medical technologist include clinical/medical laboratory science and biology.

Most common colleges for medical technologists

Medical technologists often get their degrees at Michigan State University, University of Phoenix, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Here are the most common colleges for medical technologists in the US based on their resumes.
Medical Technologist Common College
ascdesc
Percentages
ascdesc
Michigan State University8.03%
University of Phoenix7.84%
Virginia Commonwealth University5.67%
University of Cincinnati5.29%
Pennsylvania State University5.20%

Best majors for medical technologists

Best colleges for medical technologists

The best colleges for medical technologists are Vanderbilt University, New York University, and Duke University.

A medical technologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for medical technologists. 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 medical technologists.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

Website

www.unc.edu

Address

103 South Bldg Campus Box 9100, Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $49,900 per year

Net Price: $13,918 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 22.71%
SAT Average - 1398
ACT Average - 31
Most Popular Majors
Business
Biology
Psychology
Nursing
Chemistry

2. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

Website

www.utexas.edu

Address

110 Inner Campus Drive, Austin, TX 78712

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $52,200 per year

Net Price: $16,505 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 38.52%
SAT Average - 1367
ACT Average - 30
Most Popular Majors
Biology
Business
Liberal Arts
Psychology
Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology

3. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

Website

uconn.edu/

Address

352 Mansfield Rd. Unit 2048, Storrs, CT 06269-2048

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $49,800 per year

Net Price: $21,588 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 48.77%
SAT Average - 1318
ACT Average - 29
Most Popular Majors
Biology
Education
Business
Psychology
Nursing

4. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-State Tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

Website

www.washington.edu

Address

P.O. Box 351230, Seattle, WA 98195-4550

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $50,300 per year

Net Price: $12,001 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 48.69%
SAT Average - 1347
ACT Average - 30
Most Popular Majors
Biology
Education
Business
Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology
Nursing

5. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

Website

https://www.stonybrook.edu

Address

100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794-1401

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $44,000 per year

Net Price: $14,893 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 41.98%
SAT Average - 1326
ACT Average - 29
Most Popular Majors
Biology
Nursing
Business
Psychology
Health Sciences And Services

20 best online courses for medical technologists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for medical technologists

The most affordable schools for medical technologists are University of Florida, brigham young university, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for medical technologists 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 medical technologists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,381

Cost of Attendance

21,034

Website

www.ufl.edu/

Address

300 SW 13th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $47,700 per year

Net Price: $8,057 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 38.75%
SAT Average - 1362
ACT Average - 30
Most Popular Majors
Biology
Business
Pharmacy
Education
Psychology

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,620

Cost of Attendance

18,136

Website

www.byu.edu

Address

Main Campus, Provo, UT 84602

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $46,600 per year

Net Price: $13,181 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 64.47%
SAT Average - 1324
ACT Average - 29
Most Popular Majors
Biology
Education
Business
Psychology
Nursing

3. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,410

Cost of Attendance

20,456

Website

www.usf.edu

Address

4202 East Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33620-9951

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $39,400 per year

Net Price: $9,838 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 42.63%
SAT Average - 1265
ACT Average - 28
Most Popular Majors
Biology
Liberal Arts
Health Sciences And Services
Nursing
Education

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Cost of Attendance

16,091

Website

www.farmingdale.edu/

Address

2350 Broadhollow Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735-1021

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $44,800 per year

Net Price: $9,268 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 46.07%
SAT Average - 1091
ACT Average - 22
Most Popular Majors
Business
Liberal Arts
Criminal Justice
Biology
Nursing

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,886

Cost of Attendance

17,645

Website

www.fullerton.edu

Address

800 N State College Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92831-3599

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $38,500 per year

Net Price: $8,234 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 43.41%
SAT Average - 1124
ACT Average - 22
Most Popular Majors
Business
Education
Psychology
Health Sciences And Services
Biology

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for medical technologists

The hardest universities for medical technologists to get into are Vanderbilt University, New York University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for medical technologists 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 medical technologists 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions Rate

10%

SAT Average

1,514

Website

www.vanderbilt.edu

Address

2101 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37240

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $61,900 per year

Net Price: $20,253 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 9.61%
SAT Average - 1514
ACT Average - 34
Most Popular Majors
Nursing
Education
Biology
Business
Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

20%

SAT Average

1,419

Website

www.nyu.edu

Address

70 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10012-1091

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $55,900 per year

Net Price: $42,397 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 19.99%
SAT Average - 1419
ACT Average - 32
Most Popular Majors
Liberal Arts
Business
Biology
Education
Nursing

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions Rate

9%

SAT Average

1,516

Website

WWW.DUKE.EDU

Address

103 Allen Bldg, Durham, NC 27708

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $93,200 per year

Net Price: $23,442 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 8.91%
SAT Average - 1516
ACT Average - 34
Most Popular Majors
Business
Biology
Nursing
Psychology
Medical Technician

4. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions Rate

6%

SAT Average

1,517

Website

https://www.yale.edu

Address

105 Wall Street, New Haven, CT 06520

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $67,800 per year

Net Price: $18,770 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 6.35%
SAT Average - 1517
ACT Average - 34
Most Popular Majors
Business
Biology
Nursing
Psychology
Chemistry

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions Rate

23%

SAT Average

1,398

Website

www.unc.edu

Address

103 South Bldg Campus Box 9100, Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $49,900 per year

Net Price: $13,918 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 22.71%
SAT Average - 1398
ACT Average - 31
Most Popular Majors
Business
Biology
Psychology
Nursing
Chemistry

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for medical technologists

The easiest schools for medical technologists to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a medical technologist 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 medical technologists.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

100%

SAT Average

1,072

Website

www.dyc.edu

Address

320 Porter Ave, Buffalo, NY 14201-1084

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $50,600 per year

Net Price: $20,345 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 99.60%
SAT Average - 1072
ACT Average - 19
Most Popular Majors
Nursing
Biology
Medical Technician
Pharmacy
Business

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

92%

SAT Average

1,031

Website

https://www.gmercyu.edu/

Address

1325 Sumneytown Pike, P. O. Box 901, Gwynedd Valley, PA 19437-0901

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $48,000 per year

Net Price: $23,213 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 92.00%
SAT Average - 1031
ACT Average - 21
Most Popular Majors
Nursing
Education
Business
Medical Technician
Criminal Justice

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions Rate

91%

SAT Average

1,006

Website

www.barry.edu

Address

11300 NE 2nd Ave, Miami Shores, FL 33161-6695

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $43,700 per year

Net Price: $17,937 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 91.25%
SAT Average - 1006
ACT Average - 20
Most Popular Majors
Business
Biology
Nursing
Medical Technician
Education
A

4. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions Rate

87%

SAT Average

1,016

Website

www.ahu.edu

Address

671 Winyah Drive, Orlando, FL 32803

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $53,500 per year

Net Price: $17,211 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 86.89%
SAT Average - 1016
ACT Average - 20
Most Popular Majors
Nursing
Medical Technician
Health Care Administration
Biology
Medical Assisting Services

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions Rate

86%

SAT Average

991

Website

www.kean.edu

Address

1000 Morris Ave, Union, NJ 07083-0411

Median Earnings 6 years after Graduation: $38,000 per year

Net Price: $18,547 per year

Admissions
Acceptance Rate - 85.98%
SAT Average - 991
ACT Average - 20
Most Popular Majors
Education
Psychology
Biology
Business
Criminal Justice

Average medical technologist salary by education level

According to our data, medical technologists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $59,681 annually. Medical technologists with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $59,065.
Medical Technologist education level
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Medical Technologist salary
ascdesc
Master's Degree$59,681
High School Diploma or Less$47,294
Bachelor's Degree$58,081
Doctorate Degree$59,065
Some College/ Associate Degree$52,683

Medical Technologist 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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