Rankings · Verified November 2026
Sterile Processing Technician Program Rankings
How Are Sterile Processing Technician Programs Ranked?
Every ranking here draws on the same 212 programs at 204 schools, each checked on the school's own site in November 2026. Programs are scored out of 100 on hands-on training, certification prep, published cost and the school's federal track record; McHenry County College ranks first nationally with 87. Pick the ranking that matches what you need, or open your state's.
Sterile Processing Program Rankings by Need
- Best Sterile Processing Technician ProgramsEvery verified program, scored on hands-on hours, certification prep, cost and track record. 212 programs; number one: McHenry County College.
- Best Online Sterile Processing Technician ProgramsOnline and hybrid programs, and how each one gets you hands-on hours. 71 programs; number one: Central Coast College.
- Most Affordable Sterile Processing Technician ProgramsPrograms ranked by the whole-program price each school publishes. 85 programs; number one: Coastal Carolina Community College.
- Best Sterile Processing Certification ProgramsPrograms that prepare you for HSPA's CRCST or CBSPD's CSPDT exam. 149 programs; number one: McHenry County College.
- Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs With ExternshipsPrograms with clinical hours in a hospital sterile processing department. 164 programs; number one: Indian River State College.
- Best Accelerated Sterile Processing Technician ProgramsPrograms a school says take 16 weeks or less. 43 programs; number one: Massachusetts Bay Community College.
- Best Sterile Processing Technician CoursesNon-credit workforce courses at colleges and training schools. 69 programs; number one: McHenry County College.
- Best Community College Sterile Processing ProgramsPrograms at public community and technical colleges. 146 programs; number one: McHenry County College.
- Best Evening and Weekend Sterile Processing ProgramsPrograms with evening or weekend classes for people who work. 41 programs; number one: High Desert Medical College-Bakersfield.
Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs by State
| State | Schools | Programs | Ranked first | Lowest published cost | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama sterile processing ranking | 2 | 2 | Jefferson State Community College (37) | $1,795 | $35,800 |
| Arizona sterile processing ranking | 3 | 3 | Pima Medical Institute-Phoenix (83) | $46,790 | |
| California sterile processing ranking | 20 | 20 | Contra Costa Medical Career College (87) | $1,599 | $61,370 |
| Colorado sterile processing ranking | 5 | 5 | Pikes Peak State College (83) | $2,702 | $47,700 |
| Connecticut sterile processing ranking | 1 | 1 | Connecticut State Community College (54) | $1,800 | $47,980 |
| Delaware sterile processing ranking | 1 | 1 | Delaware Technical Community College (78) | $3,595 | $53,300 |
| Florida sterile processing ranking | 15 | 15 | H W Brewster Technical College (79) | $1,898 | $45,890 |
| Georgia sterile processing ranking | 10 | 12 | Southern Regional Technical College (56) | $1,391 | $47,850 |
| Idaho sterile processing ranking | 1 | 1 | College of Southern Idaho (25) | $46,450 | |
| Illinois sterile processing ranking | 11 | 11 | McHenry County College (87) | $1,670 | $48,050 |
| Indiana sterile processing ranking | 1 | 1 | Ivy Tech Community College (8) | $45,210 | |
| Iowa sterile processing ranking | 3 | 3 | Northeast Iowa Community College (60) | $899 | $39,930 |
| Kansas sterile processing ranking | 1 | 1 | Washburn Institute of Technology (24) | $45,280 | |
| Louisiana sterile processing ranking | 5 | 5 | Southern University at Shreveport (78) | $4,202.66 | $35,960 |
| Maryland sterile processing ranking | 6 | 6 | Community College of Baltimore County (86) | $840 | $48,680 |
| Massachusetts sterile processing ranking | 4 | 4 | JVS Boston (83) | $2,499 | $58,580 |
| Michigan sterile processing ranking | 9 | 10 | Schoolcraft College (83) | $1,480.50 | $45,670 |
| Minnesota sterile processing ranking | 3 | 3 | Minneapolis Community and Technical College (55) | $6,076.50 | $50,070 |
| Missouri sterile processing ranking | 2 | 2 | University of Central Missouri (78) | $3,645 | $43,480 |
| Nebraska sterile processing ranking | 1 | 1 | Nebraska Methodist College (61) | $795 | $41,480 |
| Nevada sterile processing ranking | 2 | 2 | College of Southern Nevada (81) | $46,640 | |
| New Jersey sterile processing ranking | 6 | 6 | Rowan College of South Jersey (83) | $2,750 | $50,280 |
| New Mexico sterile processing ranking | 1 | 1 | Central New Mexico Community College (37) | $36,720 | |
| New York sterile processing ranking | 14 | 14 | Swedish Institute, A College of Health Sciences (78) | $1,350 | $57,320 |
| North Carolina sterile processing ranking | 14 | 14 | Durham Technical Community College (64) | $180 | $45,130 |
| North Dakota sterile processing ranking | 1 | 1 | North Dakota State College of Science (0) | $38,910 | |
| Ohio sterile processing ranking | 7 | 8 | Collins Career Technical Center (63) | $5,250 | $45,540 |
| Oregon sterile processing ranking | 2 | 2 | Portland Community College (56) | $1,498 | $48,890 |
| Pennsylvania sterile processing ranking | 4 | 4 | Delaware County Community College (82) | $1,295 | $45,820 |
| Rhode Island sterile processing ranking | 1 | 1 | Community College of Rhode Island (42) | $51,460 | |
| South Carolina sterile processing ranking | 6 | 6 | Aiken Technical College (61) | $4,850 | $42,510 |
| Tennessee sterile processing ranking | 8 | 8 | Concorde Career College-Memphis (50) | $3,082 | $46,990 |
| Texas sterile processing ranking | 15 | 17 | Temple College (61) | $900 | $46,970 |
| Utah sterile processing ranking | 1 | 1 | Mountainland Technical College (46) | $3,739 | $47,980 |
| Virginia sterile processing ranking | 2 | 2 | J Sargeant Reynolds Community College (75) | $3,198 | $46,580 |
| Washington sterile processing ranking | 6 | 7 | Pima Medical Institute-Seattle (83) | $3,074.45 | $58,830 |
| West Virginia sterile processing ranking | 2 | 3 | Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College (52) | $44,830 | |
| Wisconsin sterile processing ranking | 5 | 5 | Northcentral Technical College (44) | $692 | $47,570 |
Programs and prices from official school pages, reviewed November 2026; lowest published cost is a whole-program price (a total or a single course fee). Ranked first: the state's top score of 100. Median pay is BLS OEWS May 2025 for medical equipment preparers. Blank cells mean none, or no figure published.
Sterile Processing Training in Other States and Territories
Residents of these 16 states and territories train online, in a hybrid program or at a campus in a nearby state. Each page lists those options and the closest schools.
- Alaska residents
- Arkansas residents
- District of Columbia residents
- Guam residents
- Hawaii residents
- Kentucky residents
- Maine residents
- Mississippi residents
- Montana residents
- New Hampshire residents
- Oklahoma residents
- Puerto Rico residents
- South Dakota residents
- Vermont residents
- U.S. Virgin Islands residents
- Wyoming residents
How We Rank Sterile Processing Programs
Each 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. Rankings list one program per school and leave out programs not admitting students.
| 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 | Sterile processing awards 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. |
Sources
- Official program pages of 204 schools, 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