Advertiser Disclosure

The demand for Phlebotomists is soaring in 2024, and according to the BLS, will be one of the fastest-growing careers in healthcare.

Ever since the pandemic, diagnostic testing demand has increased, and healthcare facilities need to hire more and more phlebotomists to collect blood samples.

Phlebotomists (also known as Phlebotomy Technicians) also have the flexibility of working in a variety of healthcare settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, private doctor’s offices, and more!

These facilities need to hire skilled & certified phlebotomists who can be trusted with patients’ safety, and to get the right skills; you need the right training.

The right training not only helps you prepare for a career as a Phlebotomist but also prepares you to get certified.

There are many training programs, from full-time associate degrees to diploma programs offered by community colleges, and even local phlebotomy classes are offered by organizations.

However, busy adults often prefer online phlebotomy classes, as you can learn from the comfort of your home without following a fixed schedule.

If you’re confused about which phlebotomy training school you should attend, we’ve created a list of our favorite and best schools for phlebotomy certification.

We also give our recommendation for the best online phlebotomist school for 2024.

Here’s the list of the Best Phlebotomy Schools and Classes:

1
Preppy
Top Pick

Key Highlights

  • 100% Online
  • Lowest Price
  • Accredited University
  • Fastest Completion
  • No Textbooks, No Fees
  • Free Laptop
Check Out Preppy

When it comes to starting a career as a phlebotomist, Preppy is a gamechanger.

It’s a forward-thinking organization that has partnered with the very reputable Auburn University to offer students comprehensive career training and certification preparation. And all without the need for a 4-year education or tuition that will leave you in debt.

Why do we think it’s so Awesome?

It’s faster, affordable, and you can learn completely online and at your own pace.

You can complete the program in as little as a two months

and be ready for the major certification in Phlebotomy,  the CPT – Certified Phlebotomy Technician from the National Healthcare Association (NHA).

If you don’t know, many certification programs are offered from un-accredited institutions, or ones lacking any real reputation. With Preppy, you’ll receive your training from the Auburn University, which is a renowned institution known for offering top-notch programs.

In other words, this certificate should look awesome hanging on your wall, and on your resume!

Most programs also take closer to 1 or 2 years to complete…time is money, and that’s a a long time.  Instead, with a shorter time frame packed in an interactive online course, it could get you working and making money faster.

Are we biased? Absolutely. We’ve seen so many lackluster schools over the years offering subpar training for phlebotomy certification, that we are now thrilled to see Preppy available for everyone.

The program is also offered 100% online and is self-paced. Study on your sofa, your back porch, or your favorite coffee shop around the corner!

It also includes textbooks and learning materials, so you never have to worry about hidden tuition costs.

This is VERY RARE in the industry. Not only do most other programs slip in hidden fees, they also require you to drive to a physical campus every week.

But when you become certified through Preppy, you learn when is most convenient for you.

Check Out Preppy’s Phlebotomist Program >>

2
Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences

Key Highlights

  • Short Duration Program
  • Accredited
  • Comprehensive Curriculum
  • Not Online...Multiple Classes Per Week
  • Higher Price
  • Additional Admission Requirements

The Kaiser Permanente school of allied Health Sciences was an originally part of the Kaiser Permanente health care system, and created in 1989.  The mission was to organize clinical instruction alongside their medical centers at various locations across the country. Although not a typical university in the traditional sense of the word, they did eventually become accredited to offer certain bachelor degrees and certifications.  Their phlebotomy certification program comes under a basic or advanced version, and is a classroom based program that meets three days a week, eight hours a day.  This is followed by a clinical requirement thereafter on a full time basis Monday through Friday an 8 hours a day.

We like the fact that this program is comprehensive, shorter duration, includes the clinical aspect, and is through an accredited institution.

However, given that it’s a full-day classroom based program, it’s likely not a viable program for people with busy lives, a job, or child responsibilities. In addition, there are some additional program requirements including a CPR program through the American Heart Association, which is not a normal requirement for most programs, and the program is still fairly expensive compared to the lowest price options we have on this list.

to learn more students will have to go through their application process to see if they are eligible or could be accepted.

3
PhlebotomyU

Key Highlights

  • Thorough Curriculum
  • All Materials Included
  • Externship Included
  • Not Accredited Institution
  • Not Online- Campus Only
  • Mid-Tier Priced

PhlebotomyU was created close to 40 years ago and was founded to focus on enhancing a student’s career in phlebotomy, meeting the needs of health care providers, and to provide hands-on experience to phlebotomy education. The organization is a private for-profit institution and is approved to operate in California at their campus in San Diego. Their training program is designed to exceed the standards set for students to become certified as a CPT (not sure if the PTC – Phlebotomy Technician Certification from The National Phlebotomy Certification Examination (NPCE) as well) We like the fact that they have a small class size, they’ve got a good focus on phlebotomy training, they include an externship, and have a good set curriculum.

A few problems though is that this coursework is only available at their campus and there are no online options available. In addition, although there approved to operate in California, they aren’t an accredited institution. Finally, their pricing is in the mid to high range for phlebotomy programs.

4
Houston Community College

Key Highlights

  • Experience Lab
  • Accredited Institution
  • Good Pricing
  • Unreasonable Prerequisites
  • Not Online...Only Campus
  • Few Payment Options

Houston Community College or HCC was created in 1971 and is a public Community College located in the state of Texas. It’s an accredited public institution with a specific focus on workforce career development an academic affordable education. They offer a phlebotomy certification program under their continuing education department, which has a good price.  Students are trained on how to perform a number of different specimen collection methods, along with a lab class where students are placed in clinical environments to develop their skills on actual patients. We like the fact that the program has a good price, it’s an accredited institution, and the hands on experience with their lab component.

The issues we have are the following: they don’t offer any financing for the price, the program is not online and is only available at the two locations in the state of Texas, and they have one of the most difficult prerequisite lists of any of the institutions on this list.  Students must have a number of vaccines to even take the course including Hepatitis B, MMR, etc.  and a background check in addition to a high school diploma or GED.

5
American National University

Key Highlights

  • Online Classes
  • Accredited School
  • High Tuition
  • Longer Time to Completion
  • Thorough Curriculum
  • Externship

American National University was founded in 1886 and has since been focused on providing education focused on industry needs and trends. Due to its industry-based approach, its Phlebotomy programs are taught by professionals working in the field and take a result-oriented approach.

Upon successful completion, the students are able to perform basic phlebotomy procedures, interpret cardiac rhythms and dysrhythmias using an electrocardiogram (ECG), conduct patient interviews and vital sign checks, and ensure all safety standards and ethical practices of the healthcare facilities.

However, with its convenience of fully online courses and immersive learning approach, there are still a few factors to be mindful of:

  • The program consists of 36-credit-hour coursework – this means it takes longer for the students to start their career in the industry
  • Its $350 per credit hour cost adds up to $12,600 making the course more expensive than some of the other options out there
  • Some of the courses are not offered in every term, which could spell delays for students who might be looking to enter the workforce a little faster

What Makes a Great Phlebotomy School?

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, demand for phlebotomists is on the rise. Because of this, many schools and universities have created certification programs. Unfortunately, a great deal of these programs are poor, not only in terms of the curriculum but the entire structure as well.

So what makes a phlebotomy technician certification the right one and why did we choose the schools we did?

Simple. They offered the following:

Online Classes

Online learning has become really popular over the last few years, and it’s easy to see why. Driving to a local community college or, worse, moving to another state, is just not feasible for most working adults with families.

But an online education promotes a healthy work/life balance. You don’t have to entirely disrupt your life just to somehow try and better it. That doesn’t make any sense!

You also never need to relocate to another state, can keep working your current job, and have plenty of time for your family and hobbies. What’s not to love?!

Comprehensive Certification Training

Of course, providing online courses is only half of the solution. The other half is to make sure that the training being offered is comprehensive and actually prepares students to take the certification exam.

We have selected schools that will fully prepare you for the major certifications, in this case those offered by the National Healthcare Association (NHA), The National Phlebotomy Certification Examination (NPCE) and more.

Self-Paced Learning

It doesn’t really matter how old you are, inside you’re still that kid sitting in the 4th grade trying to learn those multiplication tables! By this I mean, we all learn at our own pace. Some of us faster, and some of us a bit slower.

With the programs we’ve selected, you can relax and take the pressure of yourself and learn at your own pace.

In addition, self-paced learning means you study WHEN is most convenient for YOU. If that means you can only grab an hour at night when the kids are in bed and the house is finally quiet, that’s fine.

Self-paced learning means you study when you can realistically fit it into your schedule. No more missing soccer games or recitals.

Textbooks are Included

If you haven’t seen the price of textbooks lately, you may be surprised to learn they officially cost and arm and a leg! Many programs hit you with these additional costs after you’ve signed up. The schools we’ve selected include textbooks in with the price of tuition, so you won’t get any nasty surprises.

An Engaging Learning Experience

Of course, if you tried to learn entirely out of a textbook things would become very boring, very quickly. These programs are led by an actual living, breathing instructor who has a passion for sharing their knowledge of phlebotomy. This makes learning more engaging and fun!

Awesome Support

Learning in a traditional classroom setting means you can raise your hand anytime you have a question. The programs we selected offer robust support to help you with any questions and even tech issues, you may have.

Hands-on Experience

We have also selected programs that have collaborated with healthcare institutions to help you can gain some real-world experience.

Why is this so important?

Learning from a textbook or video modules is one thing, but gaining real-life experience is what will help you connect all the dots and stand out to prospective employers.

The Importance of Phlebotomy Training

The healthcare industry is growing by leaps and bounds. Much of this growth is due to an aging baby boomer population that is requiring more medical services.

A phlebotomy technician is someone with specialized training who is responsible for collecting blood and sometimes other samples for diagnostic analysis. They usually are also in charge of containing and disposing of hazardous equipment as sometimes document patient records.

But perhaps their real skills are their people skills. Since so many people are deathly afraid of needles, phlebotomists are the ones who can calm patients and make them feel better. Being a bright spot in someone’s day and helping them when they’re not feeling well is something you can feel great about!

You’re also on the very front lines of saving lives. Without people to draw the blood, there can be no important diagnoses of illness and disease. How important are you!

As a phlebotomist, you’ll never experience a dull workday as no two days are ever really alike. If you like variety, this is a great career for you.

It’s can also be a physically active job, especially if you are employed in a hospital or nursing home. So if you don’t like the idea of sitting behind a desk in a cubicle, this could be a great fit.

And, not only is there terrific job security, but it’s a great entry-level job to get your foot in the healthcare industry. While many phlebotomists love what they do so much they never change positions. But some eventually decide to further their education to become nurses or anesthesiologists.

The bottom line is, when you become a certified phlebotomist (aka phlebotomy technician), you not only set yourself up for a rewarding and in-demand career, you create almost limitless career possibilities.

Our Methodology

Boy, we’ve just covered a lot of information! What do you say we recap:

While this article is purely based on our own opinions, we did diligently sift through a lot of data to get to those opinions. As we mentioned earlier, there are quite a few phlebotomy certification programs out there, but they were not all created equal.

In order to make the cut for this list, a school was given preference based on the following:

  • Online phlebotomy programs
  • Accredited university or college
  • Non-profit
  • Comprehensive preparation for certification exams
  • Self-paced learning
  • Textbooks and other learning materials are included
  • An engaging learning experience
  • Support
  • Externships included for valuable real-life experience, and the required specimen draws for certification

If you’re interested in a career as a phlebotomist, you could become certified and begin working in as little as six months! What a great opportunity to work in an exciting industry helping people!


About the Author
Grant founded OnlineDegree.com with a purpose-driven mission: make college accessible and affordable for everyone. After graduating college with an overwhelming amount of debt, he was determined to change how students embark on their education. He's a frequent speaker and author in higher education, and has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, Business Insider, American Express, AOL, MSN, Thrive Global, Reader's Digest, Inside Higher Ed, Evolllution, EducationDive, and nearly 100 radio shows and podcasts.