McLennan Community College Medical Lab Program Costs $11,000. Here Is How Its Graduates Do.
An AAS, MLT program in Waco, 2 years. 90.0% of its graduates passed the certification exam in 2025.
The Short Version
- Its certification exam rate (90.0%) is close to the Texas program median of 90.0%.
- Its published cost is above 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 2.1 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 | Certification pass rate |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 90.0% |
| 2024 | 78.0% |
| 2023 | 75.0% |
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 gives one approximate total with no breakdown or residency basis and says costs may change.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Approximate total program cost (not including travel) | $11,000 |
| Total 1 | $11,000 |
Not included: prerequisite courses and living costs. Undated program cost page, live Nov 2026.
Jobs and Pay in the Waco Area
About 260 clinical laboratory technologists and technicians work in the Waco area. The middle half earn between $43,410 and $70,150 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).
Program Facts
- Credential
- AAS, MLT
- Length
- 2 years
- Schedule
- Classroom, lab and clinical hours
- Before you apply
- Not stated on the overview page.
- Accreditation
- NAACLS, Accredited (NAACLS; dates not shown)
- Leads to
- ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) exam, MLT or MLS
Sources and Dates
- McLennan MLT Cost and Financial Aid page, Undated program cost page, live Nov 2026.
- McLennan Community College program outcomes page, NAACLS Outcomes Data page, undated; latest cohort Aug 2025 (10 graduates, 9 passed first attempt). Graduation 100% each year; placement 80%, 100%, 100% (mean 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