Dallas College, El Centro Medical Lab Program Costs $5,940. Here Is How Its Graduates Do.
An AAS, MLT program in Dallas, 2 years full time (prerequisites not included). 26 of its 31 graduates passed the certification exam over Classes of 2022-2023 to 2024-2025.
The Short Version
- Its certification exam rate (83.9%) is below the Texas program median of 90.0%.
- 84.7% of graduates looking for work in the field found a job, by NAACLS's measure.
- 96.0% of students who started finished the program.
- Its published cost is at or below the median for Texas medical lab programs that publish one ($9,730).
- At 10% of the local median wage for clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, the program cost is paid back in about 1.0 years.
These lines are generated from the numbers on this page and change when the data does.
How Graduates Do
NAACLS requires every accredited program to publish the same outcome measures, so they can be compared program to program. 4
| Year | Passed | Took the exam | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | 12 | 66.7% |
| 2024 | 11 | 12 | 91.7% |
| 2023 | 7 | 7 | 100% |
Graduates who passed a medical laboratory certification exam (usually the ASCP Board of Certification exam), as the program publishes it for NAACLS. Programs report a three-year figure or yearly rates; where only yearly rates are published we show the newest year rather than averaging them. Job placement: graduates who found jobs in the field or continued their education, as the program reports it to NAACLS.
Where the Money Goes
The school's estimate. Page says most required learning materials are included but some programs have added costs.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Estimated tuition, program hours, Dallas County resident | $5,940 |
| Total 1 | $5,940 |
* How we calculated this: Tuition only; fees, books and other costs are not in this figure.
Not included: prerequisite courses and living costs. Program page estimate for in-county residents (page updated Sep 8, 2026).
Jobs and Pay in the Dallas Area
About 9,420 clinical laboratory technologists and technicians work in the Dallas area. The middle half earn between $40,720 and $82,090 a year; new graduates usually start toward the lower end. Texas expects about 2,450 openings a year statewide through 2034, from new positions, retirements and people changing jobs, with the number of jobs growing 15.6% (from 29,740 to 34,380).
Other Medical Lab Programs in the Dallas Area
Compare all 2 medical lab programs in the Dallas area
| Program | certification exam rate | Job placement | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navarro College AAS, MLT, Corsicana | 91.0% | 100% | $9,730 |
| Dallas College, El Centro (this page) AAS, MLT, Dallas | 83.9% | 84.7% | $5,940 |
Program Facts
- Credential
- AAS, MLT
- Length
- 2 years full time (prerequisites not included)
- Schedule
- In person or hybrid; MLT courses daytime, full time only
- Starts
- Mid May each year
- Before you apply
- Page says prerequisites may be required; also requires background check and drug test.
- Entrance exam
- None stated
- Accreditation
- NAACLS, Accredited (NAACLS; dates not shown)
- Leads to
- ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) exam, MLT or MLS
Sources and Dates
- Dallas College Medical Laboratory Technology program page, Program page estimate for in-county residents (page updated Sep 8, 2026).
- Dallas College, El Centro program outcomes page, Program page updated September 8, 2026. Retention/graduation 88%, 100%, 100%; placement 100%, 75%, 79%. Completion and placement here are simple means of the three yearly rates, worked out by us..
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians (29-2010), May 2025 estimates.
- National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), checked Nov. 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Texas and metro areas (employment and wage percentiles), May 2025 estimates.
- Texas Workforce Commission, long-term occupational projections, 2024 to 2034.
Every number was checked against its source on Nov. 4, 2026. Spot an error? Report it. Program Outcomes is independent and not affiliated with any school or NAACLS. Our independence policy