Maryland · Verified November 2026

Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Maryland

What Are the Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Maryland?

Community College of Baltimore County in Essex ranks first among 6 schools offering sterile processing technician programs in Maryland, with a score of 86 of 100. 6 sterile processing technician programs in Maryland run at 6 schools, with the most in Arnold, Wye Mills and Essex. 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 $840 at Prince George's Community College. Medical equipment preparers in Maryland earn a median of $48,680 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Researched and edited by · Updated

schools in Maryland
6
programs
6
include clinical hours
4
median published cost
$1,920
median pay (BLS May 2025)
$48,680

Top Picks in Maryland

PickProgramScore
Best overallCommunity College of Baltimore County courseEssex · $2,063 · 400 clinical hours86
Lowest published costPrince George's Community College courseLargo · $84043
FastestChesapeake College courseWye Mills · 13 weeks · $2,09550
Best online or hybridFrederick Community College courseFrederick · 13 weeks · $1,85036
Best for working adultsMontgomery College courseTakoma Park · $1,920 · 80 clinical hours52

The 6 Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Maryland, 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. Community College of Baltimore County: Central Service Technician, Continuing Education Workforce CertificateCentral Service Technician, Continuing Education Workforce Certificate

    86score of 100

    Best for the CRCST's 400 hours with the exam fee paid near Essex

    Community College of Baltimore County (Essex, MD) runs this on campus non-credit course. The school publishes a price of $2,063 for the program. Clinical: Optional Central Service Technician Clinical I-IV (AHL 046-049), 100 hours each, 400 hours in total; not required to complete the program.

    Hours
    72instruction
    Clinical
    400hours, meets 400
    Cost
    $2,063published total
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    • Exam voucher
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Community College of Baltimore County course on the school's site

  2. Montgomery College: Sterile Processing Technician (TIP), AHT250Sterile Processing Technician (TIP), AHT250

    52score of 100

    Best for training around a job near Takoma Park

    Montgomery College (Takoma Park, MD) runs this on campus non-credit course (Fall 2026 section: 32 sessions, 9/21/2026 to 11/12/2026). The school publishes a price of $1,920 for the program (Fall 2026). Clinical: Students not employed in sterile processing may secure an initial 80 hours toward full certification through an externship course (AHT252). Evening classes are offered.

    Hours
    96instruction
    Clinical
    80hours
    Cost
    $1,920published course fee, Fall 2026
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Official page for the Montgomery College course

  3. Anne Arundel Community College: Central Sterile Processing TechnicianCentral Sterile Processing Technician

    51score of 100

    Best for a published, all-in price near Arnold

    Anne Arundel Community College (Arnold, MD, public) runs this non-credit course. The school publishes a price of $2,050 for the program. Clinical: Optional externships STP-505 to STP-508 (Externship 1-4) available through the program coordinator.

    Hours
    84instruction
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Cost
    $2,050published total
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Apply or ask about the Anne Arundel Community College course

  4. Chesapeake College: Sterile Processing Technician Certificate ProgramSterile Processing Technician Certificate Program

    50score of 100

    Best for training around a job near Wye Mills

    Chesapeake College (Wye Mills, MD, public) runs this on campus non-credit course (3 months). The school publishes a price of $2,095 for the program. Clinical: Required clinical hours before the CRCST exam. Evening and weekend classes are offered.

    Weeks
    133 months
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Cost
    $2,095published total
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Chesapeake College's own page for this course

  5. Prince George's Community College: Sterile Processing Technician (SPT-300)Sterile Processing Technician (SPT-300)

    43score of 100

    Best for training around a job near Largo

    Prince George's Community College (Largo, MD, public) runs this on campus non-credit course. The school publishes a price of $840 for the program (Spring 2027). Evening classes are offered.

    Cost
    $840published course fee, Spring 2027
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Admission details for the Prince George's Community College course

  6. Frederick Community College: Sterile Processing Technician Workforce Training CertificateSterile Processing Technician Workforce Training Certificate

    36score of 100

    Best for hybrid study near Frederick

    Frederick Community College (Frederick, MD, public) runs this hybrid non-credit course (Three months). The school publishes a price of $1,850 for the program. Evening classes are offered.

    Weeks
    13Three months
    Cost
    $1,850published total
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Frederick Community College course on the school's site

Sterile Processing Schools in Maryland, Compared

SchoolBest scoreCredentialsClinicalLowest published costAwards, 2022-23
Community College of Baltimore County: official siteEssex86Non-credit course400 hr$2,063
Montgomery College: official siteTakoma Park52Non-credit course80 hr$1,920
Anne Arundel Community College: official siteArnold · Public51Non-credit courseIncluded$2,050
Chesapeake College: official siteWye Mills · Public50Non-credit courseIncluded$2,095
Prince George's Community College: official siteLargo · Public43Non-credit course$840
Frederick Community College: official siteFrederick · Public36Non-credit course$1,850

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 Maryland

Online and Hybrid Options for Maryland 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 Maryland.

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
Frederick Community College course: hybrid program pageFrederick, MDHybrid13 weeks$1,850published total

See the online program rankings

How We Rank Sterile Processing Programs in Maryland

Every Maryland 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 Maryland

No Maryland 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 Maryland

bottom tenth
$37,440
median
$48,680
top tenth
$62,820
employed
1,160

Maryland's median of $48,680 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 Maryland

Programs Near Maryland Cities

Questions About Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Maryland

What Is the Best Sterile Processing Technician Program in Maryland?

Central Service Technician, Continuing Education Workforce Certificate at Community College of Baltimore County ranks first with a score of 86 of 100, ahead of Montgomery College (52) and Anne Arundel Community College (51). 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 Maryland Have?

6 at 6 schools, verified on each school's own site in November 2026. Arnold (1), Wye Mills (1), Essex (1) and Frederick (1) have the most.

Which Maryland Programs Include Clinical Hours?

Anne Arundel Community College, Chesapeake College, Community College of Baltimore County and Montgomery 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 Maryland?

Among the 6 Maryland programs that publish a price for the whole program, cost runs from $840 to $2,095, with a median of $1,920.

How Much Do Sterile Processing Technicians Make in Maryland?

The median for medical equipment preparers in Maryland is $48,680 a year, with the bottom tenth earning $37,440 and the top tenth $62,820, across 1,160 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $47,700. Pay in every state.

Can Maryland Residents Train Online?

Partly. 3 programs put all coursework online, and 1 Maryland 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 Maryland 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