Ohio · Verified November 2026

Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Ohio

What Are the Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Ohio?

Collins Career Technical Center in Chesapeake ranks first among 7 schools offering sterile processing technician programs in Ohio, with a score of 63 of 100. 8 sterile processing technician programs in Ohio run at 7 schools, with the most in Chesapeake, Columbus and Cleveland. 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 $5,250 at Collins Career Technical Center. Medical equipment preparers in Ohio earn a median of $45,540 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Researched and edited by · Updated

schools in Ohio
7
programs
8
include clinical hours
4
median published cost
$5,250
median pay (BLS May 2025)
$45,540

Top Picks in Ohio

PickProgramScore
Best overallCollins Career Technical Center certificateChesapeake · $5,250 · 400 clinical hours63
FastestColumbus State Community College certificateColumbus · 16 weeks25
Best online or hybridOwens Community College certificatePerrysburg · 32 weeks · 180 clinical hours51

The 7 Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Ohio, 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. Collins Career Technical Center: Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST)Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST)

    63score of 100

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

    Collins Career Technical Center (Chesapeake, OH, public) runs this on campus certificate (January-June). The school publishes a price of $5,250 for the program. Clinical: 400-hour clinical practicum in a hospital sterile processing department (March-June, 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.).

    Hours
    600instruction
    Clinical
    400hours, meets 400
    Cost
    $5,250published total
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Collins Career Technical Center certificate on the school's site

  2. Cuyahoga Community College: Sterile Processing and Distribution Technology - Certificate of ProficiencySterile Processing and Distribution Technology - Certificate of Proficiency

    60score of 100

    Best for hands-on training near Cleveland

    Cuyahoga Community College (Cleveland, OH, public) runs this on campus certificate. Clinical: In-person hands-on clinical practicum in an area hospital, 240 hours of clinical experience. The school reported 9 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Clinical
    240hours
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA
    • CSPDTCBSPD

    Official page for the Cuyahoga Community College certificate

  3. Sinclair Community College: Surgical Instrument Technician (Short-Term Certificate, SPT.S.STC)Surgical Instrument Technician (Short-Term Certificate, SPT.S.STC)

    55score of 100

    Best for hands-on training near Dayton

    Sinclair Community College (Dayton, OH, public) runs this on campus certificate. Clinical: Practicum (SUT 1207 Directed Practice for Sterile Processing II, 2 credits); practicum hours count toward the 400 work-related hours HSPA requires. The school reported 20 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Credits
    13
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Apply or ask about the Sinclair Community College certificate

  4. Owens Community College: Sterile Processing Certificate (ZSPC)Sterile Processing Certificate (ZSPC)

    51score of 100

    Best for hybrid study near Perrysburg

    Owens Community College (Perrysburg, OH, public) runs this on campus and hybrid certificate (Two semesters (Fall and Spring)). Clinical: 180 hours of clinical field experience in healthcare settings in the spring semester (SPD 101 Sterile Processing Field Experience).

    Weeks
    32Two semesters (Fall and Spring)
    Credits
    16
    Clinical
    180hours
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA
    • CSPDTCBSPD

    Owens Community College's own page for this certificate

  5. Lorain County Community College: Sterile Processing Technician Short-Term Technical CertificateSterile Processing Technician Short-Term Technical Certificate

    31score of 100

    Best for classroom preparation near Elyria

    Lorain County Community College (Elyria, OH, public) runs this on campus certificate. The school reported 8 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Admission details for the Lorain County Community College certificate

  6. Columbus State Community College: Sterile Processing CertificateSterile Processing Certificate

    25score of 100

    Best for classroom preparation near Columbus

    Columbus State Community College (Columbus, OH, public) runs this on campus certificate.

    Weeks
    16
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Columbus State Community College certificate on the school's site

  7. Rhodes State College: Sterile Processing Technician CertificateSterile Processing Technician Certificate

    0score of 100

    Best for classroom preparation near Lima

    Rhodes State College (Lima, OH, public) runs this on campus certificate.

    Official page for the Rhodes State College certificate

Sterile Processing Schools in Ohio, Compared

SchoolBest scoreCredentialsClinicalLowest published costAwards, 2022-23
Collins Career Technical Center: official siteChesapeake · Public63Certificate400 hr$5,250
Cuyahoga Community College: official siteCleveland · Public60Certificate240 hr9
Sinclair Community College: official siteDayton · Public55CertificateIncluded20
Owens Community College: official sitePerrysburg · Public51Certificate180 hr
Lorain County Community College: official siteElyria · Public31Certificate8
Columbus State Community College: official siteColumbus · Public25Certificate
Rhodes State College: official siteLima · Public0Certificate

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 Ohio

Online and Hybrid Options for Ohio 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 Ohio.

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
Owens Community College certificate: hybrid program pagePerrysburg, OHHybrid32 weeks180 hours

See the online program rankings

How We Rank Sterile Processing Programs in Ohio

Every Ohio 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 Ohio

No Ohio 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 Ohio

bottom tenth
$36,620
median
$45,540
top tenth
$57,870
employed
3,210

Ohio's median of $45,540 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 Ohio

Programs Near Ohio Cities

Questions About Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Ohio

What Is the Best Sterile Processing Technician Program in Ohio?

Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) at Collins Career Technical Center ranks first with a score of 63 of 100, ahead of Cuyahoga Community College (60) and Sinclair Community College (55). 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 Ohio Have?

8 at 7 schools, verified on each school's own site in November 2026. Chesapeake (1), Columbus (1), Cleveland (1) and Elyria (1) have the most.

Which Ohio Programs Include Clinical Hours?

Collins Career Technical Center, Cuyahoga Community College, Owens Community College and Sinclair Community 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 Ohio?

Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) at Collins Career Technical Center publishes a price of $5,250.

How Much Do Sterile Processing Technicians Make in Ohio?

The median for medical equipment preparers in Ohio is $45,540 a year, with the bottom tenth earning $36,620 and the top tenth $57,870, across 3,210 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $47,700. Pay in every state.

Can Ohio Residents Train Online?

Partly. 3 programs put all coursework online, and 1 Ohio 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 7 Ohio 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