Ohio · Verified November 2026
Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Ohio
What Are the Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Ohio?
Collins Career Technical Center in Chesapeake ranks first among 7 schools offering sterile processing technician programs in Ohio, with a score of 63 of 100. 8 sterile processing technician programs in Ohio run at 7 schools, with the most in Chesapeake, Columbus and Cleveland. 4 include clinical hours, and 1 states the 400 hands-on hours that HSPA's CRCST, the central service technician certification, requires. The lowest published price is $5,250 at Collins Career Technical Center. Sterile processing technicians in Ohio earn a median of $45,540 a year (BLS, May 2025, medical equipment preparers).
- schools in Ohio
- 7
- programs
- 8
- include clinical hours
- 4
- median published cost
- $5,250
- median pay (BLS May 2025)
- $45,540
Top Picks in Ohio
| Pick | Program | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Collins Career Technical CenterChesapeake · Certificate · $5,250 · 400 clinical hours | 63 |
| Fastest | Columbus State Community CollegeColumbus · Certificate · 16 weeks | 25 |
| Best online or hybrid | Owens Community CollegePerrysburg · Certificate · 32 weeks · 180 clinical hours | 51 |
The 7 Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Ohio, Ranked
How this list is ranked: highest score first. The score (out of 100) adds hands-on training (35), certification prep (25), published cost (25) and the school's federal track record in the field (15), each from the school's own pages or IPEDS; a part a program has no figure for is left out and the rest are rescaled. One program per school; programs not admitting students are left out.
Collins Career Technical Center: Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST)Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST)
63scoreBest for covering the CRCST's 400 hands-on hours near Chesapeake
Collins Career Technical Center (Chesapeake, OH, public) runs this on campus certificate (January-June). The school publishes a price of $5,250 for the program. Clinical: 400-hour clinical practicum in a hospital sterile processing department (March-June, 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.).
- Instruction
- 600 hr
- Clinical
- 400 hr
- Cost
- $5,250published total
Includes- Clinicals
Prepares forCollins Career Technical Center certificate on the school's site
Cuyahoga Community College: Sterile Processing and Distribution Technology - Certificate of ProficiencySterile Processing and Distribution Technology - Certificate of Proficiency
60scoreBest for hands-on training near Cleveland
Cuyahoga Community College (Cleveland, OH, public) runs this on campus certificate. Clinical: In-person hands-on clinical practicum in an area hospital, 240 hours of clinical experience. The school reported 9 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).
- Clinical
- 240 hr
Includes- Clinicals
Prepares forOfficial page for the Cuyahoga Community College certificate
Sinclair Community College: Surgical Instrument Technician (Short-Term Certificate, SPT.S.STC)Surgical Instrument Technician (Short-Term Certificate, SPT.S.STC)
55scoreBest for hands-on training near Dayton
Sinclair Community College (Dayton, OH, public) runs this on campus certificate. Clinical: Practicum (SUT 1207 Directed Practice for Sterile Processing II, 2 credits); practicum hours count toward the 400 work-related hours HSPA requires. The school reported 20 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).
- Credits
- 13
- Clinical
- Included
Includes- Clinicals
Prepares forApply or ask about the Sinclair Community College certificate
Owens Community College: Sterile Processing Certificate (ZSPC)Sterile Processing Certificate (ZSPC)
51scoreBest for hybrid study near Perrysburg
Owens Community College (Perrysburg, OH, public) runs this on campus and hybrid certificate (Two semesters (Fall and Spring)). Clinical: 180 hours of clinical field experience in healthcare settings in the spring semester (SPD 101 Sterile Processing Field Experience).
- Weeks
- 32Two semesters (Fall and Spring)
- Credits
- 16
- Clinical
- 180 hr
Includes- Clinicals
Prepares forLorain County Community College: Sterile Processing Technician Short-Term Technical CertificateSterile Processing Technician Short-Term Technical Certificate
31scoreBest for classroom preparation near Elyria
Lorain County Community College (Elyria, OH, public) runs this on campus certificate. The school reported 8 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).
Prepares forAdmission details for the Lorain County Community College certificate
Columbus State Community College: Sterile Processing CertificateSterile Processing Certificate
25scoreBest for classroom preparation near Columbus
Columbus State Community College (Columbus, OH, public) runs this on campus certificate.
- Weeks
- 16
Prepares forColumbus State Community College certificate on the school's site
Rhodes State College: Sterile Processing Technician CertificateSterile Processing Technician Certificate
0scoreBest for classroom preparation near Lima
Rhodes State College (Lima, OH, public) runs this on campus certificate.
Sterile Processing Schools in Ohio, Compared
All 7 sterile processing schools in Ohio, side by side: each school's best score, the credentials it offers, its longest stated clinical placement, its lowest published price and its federal award count.
| School | Best score | Credentials | Clinical | Lowest published cost | Awards, 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collins Career Technical Center: official siteChesapeake · Public | 63 | Certificate | 400 hr | $5,250 | |
| Cuyahoga Community College: official siteCleveland · Public | 60 | Certificate | 240 hr | 9 | |
| Sinclair Community College: official siteDayton · Public | 55 | Certificate | Included | 20 | |
| Owens Community College: official sitePerrysburg · Public | 51 | Certificate | 180 hr | ||
| Lorain County Community College: official siteElyria · Public | 31 | Certificate | 8 | ||
| Columbus State Community College: official siteColumbus · Public | 25 | Certificate | |||
| Rhodes State College: official siteLima · Public | 0 | Certificate |
From each school's own pages, reviewed November 2026. Best score: the school's highest-scoring program. Awards from IPEDS 2022-23 (CIP 51.1012) count credit certificates conferred, not graduates; non-credit courses aren't counted. Blank cells: the school's pages don't give that figure.
Sterile Processing Technician Training in Ohio: Every Program
Ohio has 8 for-credit programs (certificate, diploma or degree), and 1 is hybrid. Each row links to the school's own program page.
From each school's own program page, reviewed November 2026. Cost is the school's published price or its stated rate. Blank cells: the school's pages don't give that figure.
Online Sterile Processing Technician Programs for Ohio Residents
Online coursework still leads to hands-on hours in a real department: the CRCST requires 400 of them. Hybrid programs here hold labs or clinicals in Ohio.
| Program | Format | Length | Clinical hours | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kishwaukee College: online program pageMalta, IL | Online | 16 weeks | $1,300published total, 2026-27 | |
| Herzing University-Madison: online program pageMadison, WI | Online | 43 weeks | Included | $530per credit, 2026-27 |
| Lehman College: online program pageBronx, NY | Online | 80 hours | Included | |
| Owens Community College: hybrid program pagePerrysburg, OH | Hybrid | 32 weeks | 180 |
How the Ohio Programs Are Scored
Every Ohio program is scored out of 100 from figures on the school's own pages and federal data. A part a program has no figure for is left out and the others are rescaled, so a missing fact never counts against it.
| Part | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Hands-on training | 35 | Clinical hours the program states, measured against the 400 hands-on hours HSPA's CRCST requires. A program at 400 hours or more scores full marks; clinical time without stated hours scores 15 of 35. |
| Certification prep | 25 | 15 points when the program's page names the CRCST or CSPDT exam, and 10 more when the exam fee or a voucher is included. |
| Cost | 25 | The whole-program price the school publishes, ranked against every priced program. Per-credit rates are never multiplied out. |
| Track record | 15 | Awards in the field the school reported to the U.S. Department of Education for 2022-23 (IPEDS, CIP 51.1012), on a log scale that reaches full marks at 50. |
Sterile Processing Technician Certification in Ohio
No Ohio law in force requires sterile processing certification, so the requirement comes from employers. Many hospitals hire for, or ask new technicians to earn, HSPA's CRCST (the central service technician credential) or CBSPD's CSPDT. Full CRCST certification needs 400 hands-on hours in a hospital department; you can test first and hold provisional status while you log them.
How the CRCST and its 400 hours work · States that require certification by law
Sterile Processing Technician Salary in Ohio
- bottom tenth
- $36,620
- median
- $45,540
- top tenth
- $57,870
- employed
- 3,210
Ohio's median of $45,540 is below the national median of $47,700. Figures are annual wages for medical equipment preparers (SOC 31-9093), the BLS occupation for sterile processing technicians, OEWS May 2025.
Schools in States Near Ohio
- Ivy Tech Community CollegeIndianapolis, IN · certificate
- Delta CollegeUniversity Center, MI · certificate
- Dorsey CollegeMadison Heights, MI · certificate
- Dorsey College-RosevilleRoseville, MI · certificate
- Dorsey College-SaginawSaginaw, MI · certificate
- Community College of Allegheny CountyPittsburgh, PA · certificate
- Delaware County Community CollegeMedia, PA · non-credit course
- Montgomery County Community CollegePottstown, PA · non-credit course
- Philadelphia Technician Training InstitutePhiladelphia, PA · certificate
- Blue Ridge Community and Technical CollegeMartinsburg, WV · certificate
- Southern West Virginia Community and Technical CollegeLogan, WV · certificate
Sterile Processing Classes Near Ohio Cities
Each city page lists the classes you can attend in person within 50 miles, with the distance, plus online options. The number after a city is how many programs are that close; a city without one shows the closest schools instead.
Questions About Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Ohio
What Is the Best Sterile Processing Technician Program in Ohio?
Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) at Collins Career Technical Center ranks first with a score of 63 of 100, ahead of Cuyahoga Community College (60) and Sinclair Community College (55). The score weighs hands-on hours, certification prep, published cost and the school's federal track record. How the score works.
How Many Sterile Processing Technician Programs Are in Ohio?
8 at 7 schools, verified on each school's own site in November 2026. Chesapeake (1), Columbus (1), Cleveland (1) and Elyria (1) have the most.
How Do You Become a Sterile Processing Technician in Ohio?
Finish a training program (8 run in Ohio), log hands-on hours in a hospital, and pass a certification exam: HSPA's CRCST, which needs 400 hands-on hours for full certification, or CBSPD's CSPDT. Ohio has no certification law in force, but many hospitals hire for the CRCST. Every step in order.
How Long Is Sterile Processing Training in Ohio?
From 16 to 40 weeks among the 3 Ohio programs that state a length, with a median of 32 weeks. Clinical hours can add time when they come after the classroom part.
Which Ohio Programs Include Clinical Hours?
Collins Career Technical Center, Cuyahoga Community College, Owens Community College and Sinclair Community College include clinical or practicum time. HSPA's CRCST requires 400 hands-on hours for full certification. How the 400-hour requirement works.
How Much Does Training Cost in Ohio?
Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) at Collins Career Technical Center publishes a price of $5,250.
Which Ohio Programs Prepare You for the CRCST?
7 of the 8 name the CRCST on their own pages. The certification program ranking puts those first.
How Much Do Sterile Processing Technicians Make in Ohio?
The median for medical equipment preparers in Ohio is $45,540 a year, with the bottom tenth earning $36,620 and the top tenth $57,870, across 3,210 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $47,700. Pay in every state.
Can Ohio Residents Train Online?
Partly. 3 programs put all coursework online, and 1 Ohio program is hybrid, but the CRCST's 400 hands-on hours happen in a real hospital department. Online program rankings.
More Rankings and Certification Guides
- Best Programs NationwideEvery verified program, scored on hands-on hours, certification prep, cost and track record
- Online and Hybrid RankingsOnline and hybrid programs, and how each one gets you hands-on hours
- Most Affordable RankingsPrograms ranked by the whole-program price each school publishes
- With Externships RankingsPrograms with clinical hours in a hospital sterile processing department
- CRCST CertificationThe 400-hour requirement and the exam
- Certification Requirements by StateWhich states require it by law
- Best Programs in Indiana1 school
- Best Programs in Michigan9 schools
- Best Programs in Pennsylvania4 schools
- Best Programs in West Virginia2 schools
- Rankings by StateEvery state's ranking
Sources
- Official program pages of the 7 Ohio schools listed, reviewed November 2026
- U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS completions 2022-23, CIP 51.1012
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Medical Equipment Preparers, state estimates