Colorado · Verified November 2026

Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Colorado

What Are the Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Colorado?

Pikes Peak State College in Colorado Springs ranks first among 5 schools offering sterile processing technician programs in Colorado, with a score of 83 of 100. 5 sterile processing technician programs in Colorado run at 5 schools, with the most in Denver, Greeley and Westminster. 4 include clinical hours, and 2 state the 400 hands-on hours that HSPA's CRCST, the central service technician certification, requires. The lowest published price is $2,702 at Aims Community College. Medical equipment preparers in Colorado earn a median of $47,700 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Researched and edited by · Updated

schools in Colorado
5
programs
5
include clinical hours
4
median published cost
$2,702
median pay (BLS May 2025)
$47,700

Top Picks in Colorado

PickProgramScore
Best overallPikes Peak State College certificateColorado Springs · 15 weeks · 400 clinical hours83
Best for the CRCST's 400 hoursPima Medical Institute-Denver certificateDenver · 39 weeks · 400 clinical hours82
Lowest published costAims Community College certificateGreeley · $2,70235

The 5 Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Colorado, 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. Pikes Peak State College: Sterile Processing Technology CertificateSterile Processing Technology Certificate

    83score of 100

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

    Pikes Peak State College (Colorado Springs, CO, public) runs this certificate. Clinical: 400 clinical hours through SPI 1081 internship (unpaid) at sites in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Canon City, Woodland Park or Denver.

    Weeks
    15
    Credits
    18
    Clinical
    400hours, meets 400
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Pikes Peak State College certificate on the school's site

  2. Pima Medical Institute-Denver: Sterile Processing Technician Certificate ProgramSterile Processing Technician Certificate Program

    82score of 100

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

    Pima Medical Institute-Denver (Denver, CO, private for-profit) runs this on campus certificate (~9 months). Clinical: 400-hour clinical externship, completed fully in person. The school reported 18 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

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

    Official page for the Pima Medical Institute-Denver certificate

  3. Front Range Community College: Sterile Processing TechnologySterile Processing Technology

    59score of 100

    Best for hands-on training near Westminster

    Front Range Community College (Westminster, CO, public) runs this certificate (2 semesters). Clinical: Clinical rotations at partner hospitals in the second semester (SPI 1081 Internship: Sterile Processing, 9 credits). The school reported 38 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Weeks
    322 semesters
    Credits
    18
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Apply or ask about the Front Range Community College certificate

  4. Aims Community College: Sterile Instrument Processing CertificateSterile Instrument Processing Certificate

    35score of 100

    Best for hybrid study near Greeley

    Aims Community College (Greeley, CO, public) runs this hybrid certificate (One full-time semester). The school publishes a price of $2,702 for the program. Clinical: Clinical internship at an onsite clinical setting, 40 hours per week for 10 weeks. The school reported 13 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Credits
    17
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Cost
    $2,702published total
    Includes
    • Clinicals

    Aims Community College's own page for this certificate

  5. Community College of Denver: Sterile Processing TechnologySterile Processing Technology

    29score of 100

    Best for classroom preparation near Denver

    Community College of Denver (Denver, CO, public) runs this on campus certificate (1 semester). The school reported 5 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Weeks
    161 semester
    Credits
    16
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Admission details for the Community College of Denver certificate

Sterile Processing Schools in Colorado, Compared

SchoolBest scoreCredentialsClinicalLowest published costAwards, 2022-23
Pikes Peak State College: official siteColorado Springs · Public83Certificate400 hr
Pima Medical Institute-Denver: official siteDenver · Private for-profit82Certificate400 hr18
Front Range Community College: official siteWestminster · Public59CertificateIncluded38
Aims Community College: official siteGreeley · Public35CertificateIncluded$2,70213
Community College of Denver: official siteDenver · Public29Certificate5

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 Colorado

Online and Hybrid Options for Colorado 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 Colorado.

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
Aims Community College certificate: hybrid program pageGreeley, COHybrid17 creditsIncluded$2,702published total

See the online program rankings

How We Rank Sterile Processing Programs in Colorado

Every Colorado 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 Colorado

No Colorado 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 Colorado

bottom tenth
$35,760
median
$47,700
top tenth
$65,170
employed
1,950

Colorado's median of $47,700 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 Colorado

Programs Near Colorado Cities

Questions About Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Colorado

What Is the Best Sterile Processing Technician Program in Colorado?

Sterile Processing Technology Certificate at Pikes Peak State College ranks first with a score of 83 of 100, ahead of Pima Medical Institute-Denver (82) and Front Range Community College (59). 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 Colorado Have?

5 at 5 schools, verified on each school's own site in November 2026. Denver (2), Greeley (1), Westminster (1) and Colorado Springs (1) have the most.

Which Colorado Programs Include Clinical Hours?

Aims Community College, Front Range Community College, Pikes Peak State College and Pima Medical Institute-Denver 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 Colorado?

Sterile Instrument Processing Certificate at Aims Community College publishes a price of $2,702.

How Much Do Sterile Processing Technicians Make in Colorado?

The median for medical equipment preparers in Colorado is $47,700 a year, with the bottom tenth earning $35,760 and the top tenth $65,170, across 1,950 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $47,700. Pay in every state.

Can Colorado Residents Train Online?

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