Minnesota · Verified November 2026

Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Minnesota

What Are the Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Minnesota?

Minneapolis Community and Technical College in Minneapolis ranks first among 3 schools offering sterile processing technician programs in Minnesota, with a score of 55 of 100. 3 sterile processing technician programs in Minnesota run at 3 schools, with the most in Anoka, Minneapolis and Saint Paul. 3 include clinical hours. The lowest published price is $6,076.50 at Saint Paul College. Medical equipment preparers in Minnesota earn a median of $50,070 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Researched and edited by · Updated

schools in Minnesota
3
programs
3
include clinical hours
3
median published cost
$6,077
median pay (BLS May 2025)
$50,070

Top Picks in Minnesota

PickProgramScore
Best overallMinneapolis Community and Technical College certificateMinneapolis · 16 weeks55
Lowest published costSaint Paul College certificateSaint Paul · $6,076.5046

Minnesota Sterile Processing Programs, 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 sterile processing (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.

  1. Minneapolis Community and Technical College: Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician CertificateSterile Processing and Distribution Technician Certificate

    55score of 100

    Best for hands-on training near Minneapolis

    Minneapolis Community and Technical College (Minneapolis, MN, public) runs this on campus certificate. Clinical: Required internship in a hospital setting. The school reported 18 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Weeks
    16
    Credits
    17
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA
    • CSPDTCBSPD
    • CERHSPA
    • CISHSPA

    Minneapolis Community and Technical College certificate on the school's site

  2. Saint Paul College: Sterile Processing CertificateSterile Processing Certificate

    46score of 100

    Best for a published, all-in price near Saint Paul

    Saint Paul College (Saint Paul, MN, public) runs this on campus certificate. The school publishes a price of $6,076.50 for the program. Clinical: Hands-on training with actual surgical instruments and supplies in the sterile processing lab. The school reported 33 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Credits
    30
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Cost
    $6,076.50published total
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Official page for the Saint Paul College certificate

  3. Anoka Technical College: Sterile Processing CertificateSterile Processing Certificate

    29score of 100

    Best for a published, all-in price near Anoka

    Anoka Technical College (Anoka, MN, public) runs this on campus certificate. The school publishes a price of $6,442 for the program (2026-27). Clinical: Hands-on training from industry experts. The school reported 21 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Credits
    28
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Cost
    $6,442published total, 2026-27
    Includes
    • Clinicals

    Apply or ask about the Anoka Technical College certificate

Sterile Processing Schools in Minnesota, Compared

SchoolBest scoreCredentialsClinicalLowest published costAwards, 2022-23
Minneapolis Community and Technical College: official siteMinneapolis · Public55CertificateIncluded18
Saint Paul College: official siteSaint Paul · Public46CertificateIncluded$6,076.5033
Anoka Technical College: official siteAnoka · Public29CertificateIncluded$6,44221

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.

Every Program in Minnesota

Online and Hybrid Options for Minnesota Residents

Online coursework still leads to hands-on hours in a real department: the CRCST requires 400 of them. Check where each program places you for clinicals before you apply.

ProgramFormatLengthClinicalCost
Kishwaukee College course: online program pageMalta, ILOnline16 weeks$1,300published total, 2026-27
Herzing University-Madison diploma: online program pageMadison, WIOnline43 weeksIncluded$530per credit, 2026-27
Lehman College course: online program pageBronx, NYOnline80 hoursIncluded

See the online program rankings

How We Rank Sterile Processing Programs in Minnesota

Every Minnesota 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.

PartWeightWhat it measures
Hands-on training35Clinical 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 prep2515 points when the program's page names the CRCST or CSPDT exam, and 10 more when the exam fee or a voucher is included.
Cost25The whole-program price the school publishes, ranked against every priced program. Per-credit rates are never multiplied out.
Track record15Sterile 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.

Full ranking methodology

Sterile Processing Technician Certification in Minnesota

No Minnesota 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 sterile processing 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 Minnesota

bottom tenth
$40,900
median
$50,070
top tenth
$61,580
employed
1,390

Minnesota's median of $50,070 is above 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 Minnesota

Programs Near Minnesota Cities

Questions About Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Minnesota

What Is the Best Sterile Processing Technician Program in Minnesota?

Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician Certificate at Minneapolis Community and Technical College ranks first with a score of 55 of 100, ahead of Saint Paul College (46) and Anoka Technical College (29). The score weighs hands-on hours, certification prep, published cost and the school's federal track record. How the score works.

How Many Training Programs Does Minnesota Have?

3 at 3 schools, verified on each school's own site in November 2026. Anoka (1), Minneapolis (1) and Saint Paul (1) have the most.

Which Minnesota Programs Include Clinical Hours?

Anoka Technical College, Minneapolis Community and Technical College and Saint Paul 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 Minnesota?

Among the 2 Minnesota programs that publish a price for the whole program, cost runs from $6,077 to $6,442, with a median of $6,077.

How Much Do Sterile Processing Technicians Make in Minnesota?

The median for medical equipment preparers in Minnesota is $50,070 a year, with the bottom tenth earning $40,900 and the top tenth $61,580, across 1,390 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $47,700. Pay in every state.

Can Minnesota Residents Train Online?

Partly. 3 programs put all coursework online, and many programs are hybrid, but the CRCST's 400 hands-on hours happen in a real sterile processing department. Online program rankings.

More Sterile Processing Rankings

Sources

  1. Official program pages of the 3 Minnesota schools listed, reviewed November 2026
  2. U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS completions 2022-23, CIP 51.1012
  3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Medical Equipment Preparers, state estimates

Every program on this site was checked on the school's own website in November 2026. Clinical hours, exam prep and fees are shown as each school states them. Certification rules come from HSPA and CBSPD's own pages, and school completions from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS) data. Sponsored listings are labeled as ads and never change which programs we list or how we rank them. How we verify programs