College Rankings

Best Medical Laboratory Science Schools

The top 25 of 86 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Medical Laboratory Science degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.

Is Medical Laboratory Science worth it?

For students who want a guaranteed, well-paying job in healthcare without the patient-facing burnout of nursing, Medical Laboratory Science is one of the safest investments in higher education. Hospitals are facing a critical, nationwide shortage of lab personnel, meaning graduates are routinely hired before they even finish their clinical rotations.

The payoff story here is entirely about geography and regional public universities. Because the field is strictly regulated by certification exams, employers do not care about university prestige—they only care that you are licensed, competent, and ready to work. Consequently, the best value is overwhelmingly at low-cost state and city colleges that feed directly into local hospital networks. The only catch? The starting salary floor is fantastic, but the mid-career ceiling can be rigid unless you are willing to step away from the microscope and move into laboratory management.

Filter by state

#	School	State	Score	Median earnings	Net price / yr	10-yr net ROI
1	Farmingdale State College	NY	75	$95,766	$10,867†	+$914K
2	College of Staten Island CUNY	NY	75	$86,226	$5,579†	+$840K
3	CUNY Hunter College	NY	75	$86,173	$2,984†	+$850K
4	Stony Brook University	NY	74	$92,286	$18,784†	+$848K
5	Rutgers University-Camden	NJ	70	$80,060	$18,745†	+$726K
6	Weber State University	UT	70	$67,576	$10,258†	+$635K
7	Rutgers University-Newark	NJ	69	$80,060	$19,703†	+$722K
8	Oregon Institute of Technology	OR	69	$73,903	$15,706†	+$676K
9	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	WA	69	$70,225	$14,091†	+$646K
10	Austin Peay State University	TN	69	$70,028	$9,735†	+$661K
11	Indiana University-Indianapolis	IN	68	$70,833	$11,668†	+$662K
12	Ferris State University	MI	68	$65,935	$8,624†	+$625K
13	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	NJ	67	$80,060	$24,406†	+$703K
14	Wayne State University	MI	67	$70,611	$12,766†	+$655K
15	University of West Florida	FL	67	$65,673	$9,364†	+$619K
16	CUNY York College	NY	66	$105,425	$4,456†	+$1.0M
17	Northern Illinois University	IL	66	$70,654	$13,391†	+$653K
18	California State University-Dominguez Hills	CA	66	$44,374	$8,615†	+$409K
19	Saint Cloud State University	MN	65	$74,147	$13,529†	+$687K
20	University of Delaware	DE	65	$73,722	$17,799†	+$666K
21	University at Buffalo	NY	65	$70,264	$20,995†	+$619K
22	South Dakota State University	SD	65	$69,255	$19,841†	+$613K
23	University of Massachusetts-Lowell	MA	65	$69,216	$17,163†	+$624K
24	University of Wisconsin-La Crosse	WI	65	$68,564	$16,210†	+$621K
25	Winona State University	MN	65	$65,883	$17,503†	+$589K
26	Idaho State University	ID	65	$62,085	$12,193†	+$572K
27	Oakland University	MI	65	$55,992	$9,120†	+$523K
28	Mercy University	NY	64	$101,516	$14,072	+$959K
29	Eastern Michigan University	MI	64	$65,737	$15,407†	+$596K
30	Georgia Southern University	GA	64	$62,447	$15,267†	+$563K
31	Wichita State University	KS	64	$60,287	$13,194†	+$550K
32	Eastern Kentucky University	KY	64	$55,917	$11,040†	+$515K
33	University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth	MA	63	$74,097	$20,927†	+$657K
34	University of Rhode Island	RI	63	$66,445	$21,440†	+$579K
35	Ohio State University-Main Campus	OH	63	$64,267	$17,339†	+$573K
36	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	WI	63	$62,966	$15,014†	+$570K
37	Old Dominion University	VA	63	$60,601	$14,638†	+$547K
38	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	TX	63	$56,421	$4,831†	+$545K
39	University of Vermont	VT	62	$64,930	$19,343†	+$572K
40	West Virginia University	WV	62	$63,522	$15,634†	+$573K
41	University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point	WI	62	$59,690	$14,559†	+$539K
42	Thomas University	GA	62	$59,675	$18,499	+$523K
43	North Dakota State University-Main Campus	ND	62	$58,799	$15,543†	+$526K
44	The University of Texas at El Paso	TX	62	$54,659	$9,403†	+$509K
45	Tarleton State University	TX	61	$69,675	$20,783†	+$614K
46	University of North Dakota	ND	61	$68,029	$18,551†	+$606K
47	Northern Michigan University	MI	61	$54,336	$14,085†	+$487K
48	University of Alaska Anchorage	AK	60	$81,203	$15,301†	+$751K
49	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	OH	60	$72,390	$25,648†	+$621K
50	Grand Canyon University	AZ	60	$66,736	$22,472	+$577K
51	East Carolina University	NC	60	$60,441	$15,739†	+$541K
52	Augusta University	GA	59	$71,074	$13,787†	+$656K
53	Virginia Commonwealth University	VA	59	$67,072	$23,433†	+$577K
54	Saginaw Valley State University	MI	59	$66,597	$10,775†	+$623K
55	Illinois State University	IL	59	$65,629	$19,398†	+$579K
56	Marshall University	WV	59	$60,610	$7,502†	+$576K
57	University of Mississippi	MS	59	$54,947	$13,314†	+$496K
58	University of Central Florida	FL	58	$62,453	$10,411†	+$583K
59	University of Kentucky	KY	58	$59,282	$18,851†	+$517K
60	National University	CA	58	$55,562	$22,878	+$464K
61	Texas Southern University	TX	58	$54,327	$16,590†	+$477K
62	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	MN	57	$73,403	$16,778†	+$667K
63	University of Louisiana at Monroe	LA	57	$64,772	$13,466†	+$594K
64	Northeastern State University	OK	57	$62,912	$12,710†	+$578K
65	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	OH	57	$62,869	$24,022†	+$533K
66	Arkansas State University	AR	57	$56,697	$12,366†	+$518K
67	University of Utah	UT	56	$67,965	$16,200†	+$615K
68	Texas State University	TX	56	$67,589	$16,805†	+$609K
69	Radford University	VA	56	$63,606	$14,578†	+$578K
70	Auburn University at Montgomery	AL	56	$61,612	$13,224†	+$563K
71	Winston-Salem State University	NC	56	$60,442	$13,479†	+$551K
72	Florida Gulf Coast University	FL	56	$58,048	$12,568†	+$530K
73	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	NC	56	$56,721	$11,655†	+$521K
74	Michigan State University	MI	56	$47,202	$19,680†	+$393K
75	Salisbury University	MD	55	$67,679	$17,743†	+$606K
76	University of Toledo	OH	55	$66,225	$17,249†	+$593K
77	Grand Valley State University	MI	55	$63,038	$16,317†	+$565K
78	Wright State University-Main Campus	OH	55	$61,401	$15,415†	+$552K
79	Boston University	MA	54	$77,660	$24,402	+$679K
80	University of New Mexico-Main Campus	NM	53	$57,178	$15,489†	+$510K
81	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	51	$61,461	$19,857†	+$535K
82	Michigan Technological University	MI	50	$38,756	$14,182†	+$331K
83	Brigham Young University	UT	47	$54,333	$15,564	+$481K
84	George Washington University	DC	46	$66,905	$36,586	+$523K
85	Saint Louis University	MO	46	$40,156	$24,398	+$304K
86	Cleveland State University	OH	33	$35,443	$14,764†	+$295K

Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI

How to read this: Median earnings = typical pay one year after graduation. Net price = average annual cost after grant aid, incl. living costs — not sticker tuition. 10-yr net ROI = ten years of earnings minus four years of net price. Score = the CollegeRanked Score (0–100) that sets the order — it blends ROI with longer-run earnings, job demand and automation resilience, so a school can outrank one with a slightly higher 10-yr ROI. † = public university — net price shown is the in-state cost; out-of-state students pay more. See the full methodology.

Why these schools rank where they do

The top of this ranking is an absolute masterclass by the New York public university systems. Farmingdale State College takes the #1 spot because it acts as a direct pipeline into Long Island’s sprawling, highly consolidated healthcare networks, particularly Northwell Health and Catholic Health. Farmingdale students complete intense clinical practicums right in these local facilities, allowing them to step seamlessly into high-paying, unionized lab roles the moment they pass their boards.

The CUNY system (College of Staten Island, Hunter College, and York College) similarly dominates the top tier. York College, for instance, produces some of the highest-earning graduates on this entire list despite being a lesser-known commuter school. The reason is pure local economics: New York City hospitals pay a massive premium for licensed technologists, and CUNY’s rock-bottom tuition means these grads carry almost no debt into a highly lucrative market.

Outside the Northeast, the winners are specialized regional powerhouses like Oregon Institute of Technology and Weber State University. Oregon Tech is famous in the Pacific Northwest for its hands-on medical programs; its students are heavily recruited by major regional providers like Providence and Kaiser Permanente. In this major, elite flagships take a backseat to gritty, practical state schools with ironclad hospital partnerships.

What is Medical Laboratory Science?

Medical Laboratory Science is the diagnostic engine of modern healthcare. While doctors and nurses interact with patients, medical laboratory scientists are behind the scenes in the lab—analyzing blood, tissue, and fluids to identify diseases, match blood types for transfusions, and pinpoint bacterial infections. If you've ever had a biopsy, a PCR test, or a complex blood panel, an MLS professional was the one who actually found the answer.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to go to a prestigious school for this major?

Absolutely not. The only thing that matters is that your program is NAACLS-accredited so you can sit for the ASCP Board of Certification exam. Once you have those credentials, a degree from a regional state college holds the exact same weight as one from an elite private university. Hiring managers are looking at your clinical rotation experience, not your school's brand name.

What is the difference between an MLS and an MLT?

A Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) typically holds a two-year associate degree and performs more routine, automated lab tests. A Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) holds a four-year bachelor's degree, handles complex diagnostics, and commands a significantly higher salary. An MLS degree also opens doors to lab management, research, and specialized departments like molecular diagnostics and blood banking.

Will automation and AI replace this job?

While basic sorting and routine chemistry panels are highly automated now, AI cannot replace the complex human judgment required in areas like cross-matching blood, identifying rare microbes in microbiology, and analyzing abnormal blood smears. If anything, automation has simply allowed lab scientists to process a higher volume of complex, specialized diagnostics.

Is there room for career growth?

The entry-level stability is unmatched, but to significantly bump your pay later in your career, you will likely need to pivot. Many experienced scientists move into laboratory management, shift to healthcare IT (managing the software systems that run the labs), or work as highly paid field service engineers for the biotech companies that manufacture the diagnostic machines.