Washington · Verified November 2026

Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Washington

What Are the Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Washington?

Pima Medical Institute-Seattle in Seattle ranks first among 6 schools offering sterile processing technician programs in Washington, with a score of 83 of 100. 7 sterile processing technician programs in Washington run at 6 schools, with the most in Seattle, Lakewood and Pasco. 6 include clinical hours, and 4 state the 400 hands-on hours that HSPA's CRCST, the central service technician certification, requires. The lowest published price is $3,074.45 at Yakima Valley College. Medical equipment preparers in Washington earn a median of $58,830 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Researched and edited by · Updated

schools in Washington
6
programs
7
include clinical hours
6
median published cost
$3,074
median pay (BLS May 2025)
$58,830

Top Picks in Washington

PickProgramScore
Best overallPima Medical Institute-Seattle certificateSeattle · 39 weeks · 400 clinical hours83
Best for the CRCST's 400 hoursSeattle Central College certificateSeattle · 11 weeks · 400 clinical hours79
Lowest published costYakima Valley College certificateYakima · 26 weeks · $3,074.45 · 400 clinical hours68
FastestClover Park Technical College certificateLakewood · 33 weeks13

The 6 Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Washington, 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. Pima Medical Institute-Seattle: Sterile Processing Technician Certificate ProgramSterile Processing Technician Certificate Program

    83score of 100

    Best for covering the CRCST's 400 hands-on hours near Seattle

    Pima Medical Institute-Seattle (Seattle, WA, private for-profit) runs this on campus certificate (~9 months). Clinical: 400-hour clinical externship, completed fully in person.

    Weeks
    39~9 months
    Clinical
    400hours, meets 400
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Pima Medical Institute-Seattle certificate on the school's site

  2. Seattle Central College: Sterile Processing (Short-Term Certificate)Sterile Processing (Short-Term Certificate)

    79score of 100

    Best for covering the CRCST's 400 hands-on hours near Seattle

    Seattle Central College (Seattle, WA, public) runs this on campus certificate. Clinical: 400-hour practicum at an assigned hospital sterile processing department. The school reported 10 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Weeks
    11
    Clinical
    400hours, meets 400
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Official page for the Seattle Central College certificate

  3. Yakima Valley College: Sterile Processing Technician (SPT) CertificateSterile Processing Technician (SPT) Certificate

    68score of 100

    Best for covering the CRCST's 400 hands-on hours near Yakima

    Yakima Valley College (Yakima, WA, public) runs this hybrid certificate (Two quarters (about 6 months)). The school publishes a price of $3,074.45 for the program (2026-27). Clinical: 400-hour clinical externship.

    Weeks
    26Two quarters (about 6 months)
    Credits
    19
    Clinical
    400hours, meets 400
    Cost
    $3,074.45published total, 2026-27
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Apply or ask about the Yakima Valley College certificate

  4. Renton Technical College: Central Service Technician (CST)Central Service Technician (CST)

    46score of 100

    Best for hands-on training near Renton

    Renton Technical College (Renton, WA, public) runs this certificate. Clinical: Internship at a local hospital. The school reported 2 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Renton Technical College's own page for this certificate

  5. Columbia Basin College: Sterile Processing Technician, CSterile Processing Technician, C

    26score of 100

    Best for hands-on training near Pasco

    Columbia Basin College (Pasco, WA, public) runs this certificate. Clinical: SPT 150 Sterile Processing Clinical (12 credits). The school reported 2 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Credits
    23
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Includes
    • Clinicals

    Admission details for the Columbia Basin College certificate

  6. Clover Park Technical College: Central Service/Sterile Processing CertificateCentral Service/Sterile Processing Certificate

    13score of 100

    Best for classroom preparation near Lakewood

    Clover Park Technical College (Lakewood, WA, public) runs this certificate (3 quarters). The school reported 12 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Weeks
    333 quarters

    Clover Park Technical College certificate on the school's site

Sterile Processing Schools in Washington, Compared

SchoolBest scoreCredentialsClinicalLowest published costAwards, 2022-23
Pima Medical Institute-Seattle: official siteSeattle · Private for-profit83Certificate400 hr
Seattle Central College: official siteSeattle · Public79Certificate400 hr10
Yakima Valley College: official siteYakima · Public68Certificate400 hr$3,074.45
Renton Technical College: official siteRenton · Public46CertificateIncluded2
Columbia Basin College: official sitePasco · Public26CertificateIncluded2
Clover Park Technical College: official siteLakewood · Public13Certificate12

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 Sterile Processing Technician Program in Washington

Online and Hybrid Options for Washington 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 Washington.

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
Yakima Valley College certificate: hybrid program pageYakima, WAHybrid26 weeks400 hours$3,074.45published total, 2026-27

See the online program rankings

How We Rank Sterile Processing Programs in Washington

Every Washington 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 Washington

No Washington 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 Washington

bottom tenth
$41,210
median
$58,830
top tenth
$79,880
employed
1,670

Washington's median of $58,830 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 Washington

Programs Near Washington Cities

Questions About Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Washington

What Is the Best Sterile Processing Technician Program in Washington?

Sterile Processing Technician Certificate Program at Pima Medical Institute-Seattle ranks first with a score of 83 of 100, ahead of Seattle Central College (79) and Yakima Valley College (68). 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 Washington Have?

7 at 6 schools, verified on each school's own site in November 2026. Seattle (2), Lakewood (1), Pasco (1) and Renton (1) have the most.

Which Washington Programs Include Clinical Hours?

Columbia Basin College, Pima Medical Institute-Seattle, Renton Technical College, Seattle Central College and Yakima Valley 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 Washington?

Sterile Processing Technician (SPT) Certificate at Yakima Valley College publishes a price of $3,074.45.

How Much Do Sterile Processing Technicians Make in Washington?

The median for medical equipment preparers in Washington is $58,830 a year, with the bottom tenth earning $41,210 and the top tenth $79,880, across 1,670 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $47,700. Pay in every state.

Can Washington Residents Train Online?

Partly. 3 programs put all coursework online, and 1 Washington program is 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 6 Washington 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