Wisconsin · Verified November 2026

Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Wisconsin

What Are the Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Wisconsin?

Northcentral Technical College in Wausau ranks first among 5 schools offering sterile processing technician programs in Wisconsin, with a score of 44 of 100. 5 sterile processing technician programs in Wisconsin run at 5 schools, with the most in Janesville, Eau Claire and Wisconsin Rapids. 4 include clinical hours. The lowest published price is $692 at Northcentral Technical College. Medical equipment preparers in Wisconsin earn a median of $47,570 a year (BLS, May 2025).

schools in Wisconsin
5
programs
5
include clinical hours
4
median published cost
$1,078
median pay (BLS May 2025)
$47,570

Top Picks in Wisconsin

PickProgramScore
Best overallNorthcentral Technical College certificateWausau · $69244
Lowest published costMid-State Technical College diplomaWisconsin Rapids · 40 weeks · $1,077.8538
FastestChippewa Valley Technical College diplomaEau Claire · 40 weeks · $1,31641

The 5 Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Wisconsin, 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. Northcentral Technical College: Sterile Processing Technician CertificateSterile Processing Technician Certificate

    44score of 100

    Best for a published, all-in price near Wausau

    Northcentral Technical College (Wausau, WI, public) runs this on campus certificate. The school publishes a price of $692 for the program (2026-27). Clinical: Lecture and lab experiences.

    Credits
    3
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Cost
    $692published total, 2026-27
    Includes
    • Clinicals
  2. Chippewa Valley Technical College: Sterile Processing Technician, Technical DiplomaSterile Processing Technician, Technical Diploma

    41score of 100

    Best for a published, all-in price near Eau Claire

    Chippewa Valley Technical College (Eau Claire, WI, public) runs this on campus diploma (Less than one year). The school publishes a price of $1,316 for the program (2026-27). Clinical: Classroom instruction plus a clinical experience in a local hospital. The school reported 5 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Weeks
    40Less than one year
    Credits
    6
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Cost
    $1,316published total, 2026-27
    Includes
    • Clinicals
  3. Mid-State Technical College: Sterile Processing Technician, Technical DiplomaSterile Processing Technician, Technical Diploma

    38score of 100

    Best for a published, all-in price near Wisconsin Rapids

    Mid-State Technical College (Wisconsin Rapids, WI, public) runs this on campus diploma (Less than one year). The school publishes a price of $1,077.85 for the program (2026-27). Clinical: Online instruction, lab work, Healthcare Simulation Center practice and clinical experiences at multiple sites. The school reported 1 sterile processing award for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Weeks
    40Less than one year
    Credits
    5
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Cost
    $1,077.85published total, 2026-27
    Includes
    • Clinicals
  4. Blackhawk Technical College: Sterile Processing Technician, Technical DiplomaSterile Processing Technician, Technical Diploma

    36score of 100

    Best for a published, all-in price near Janesville

    Blackhawk Technical College (Janesville, WI, public) runs this diploma. The school publishes a price of $1,387 for the program. Clinical: Clinical courses follow acceptance into the program. The school reported 1 sterile processing award for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Cost
    $1,387published total
    Includes
    • Clinicals
  5. Waukesha County Technical College: Sterile Processing Technician, Technical Diploma (30-534-2)Sterile Processing Technician, Technical Diploma (30-534-2)

    10score of 100

    Best for hybrid study near Pewaukee

    Waukesha County Technical College (Pewaukee, WI, public) runs this hybrid diploma (Less than 1 year). The school reported 6 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Weeks
    40Less than 1 year
    Credits
    6

Sterile Processing Schools in Wisconsin, Compared

SchoolBest scoreCredentialsClinicalLowest published costAwards, 2022-23
Northcentral Technical College: official siteWausau · Public44CertificateIncluded$692
Chippewa Valley Technical College: official siteEau Claire · Public41DiplomaIncluded$1,3165
Mid-State Technical College: official siteWisconsin Rapids · Public38DiplomaIncluded$1,077.851
Blackhawk Technical College: official siteJanesville · Public36DiplomaIncluded$1,3871
Waukesha County Technical College: official sitePewaukee · Public10Diploma6

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 Wisconsin

Online and Hybrid Options for Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin.

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
Waukesha County Technical College diploma: hybrid program pagePewaukee, WIHybrid40 weeks

See the online program rankings

How We Rank Sterile Processing Programs in Wisconsin

Every Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin

No Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin

bottom tenth
$38,170
median
$47,570
top tenth
$59,180
employed
1,380

Wisconsin's median of $47,570 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 Wisconsin

Programs Near Wisconsin Cities

Questions About Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Wisconsin

What Is the Best Sterile Processing Technician Program in Wisconsin?

Sterile Processing Technician Certificate at Northcentral Technical College ranks first with a score of 44 of 100, ahead of Chippewa Valley Technical College (41) and Mid-State Technical College (38). 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 Wisconsin Have?

5 at 5 schools, verified on each school's own site in November 2026. Janesville (1), Eau Claire (1), Wisconsin Rapids (1) and Wausau (1) have the most.

Which Wisconsin Programs Include Clinical Hours?

Blackhawk Technical College, Chippewa Valley Technical College, Mid-State Technical College and Northcentral Technical 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 Wisconsin?

Among the 4 Wisconsin programs that publish a price for the whole program, cost runs from $692 to $1,387, with a median of $1,078.

How Much Do Sterile Processing Technicians Make in Wisconsin?

The median for medical equipment preparers in Wisconsin is $47,570 a year, with the bottom tenth earning $38,170 and the top tenth $59,180, across 1,380 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $47,700. Pay in every state.

Can Wisconsin Residents Train Online?

Partly. 3 programs put all coursework online, and 1 Wisconsin 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 5 Wisconsin 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