by our College Data Analytics Team
[Laboratory Technician](/majors/health-care-professions/clinical-medical-lab-science/laboratory-technician/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for laboratory technician students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the laboratory technician degrees they offer, see the list below.
Southern West Virginia Community And Technical College tops our 2026 list of the best value laboratory technician schools in West Virginia. Located in the town of Logan, Southern West Virginia Community And Technical College is a small public university. Students from in state pay about $5,136 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,872. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $32,153.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Marshall University earned it the #2 place for laboratory technician. Set in the city of Huntington, Marshall University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,162, compared with $20,342 for out-of-state students. Laboratory Technician graduates carry a median of $24,698 in student loans. Early-career laboratory technician graduates make about $60,610. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Pierpont Community And Technical College earned it the #3 place for laboratory technician. Located in the town of Fairmont, Pierpont Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,762, with out-of-state students paying around $13,660. Laboratory Technician graduates carry a median of $16,268 in student loans. Early-career laboratory technician graduates make about $43,759. That is a strong return on a $16,268 median debt.
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This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.