Illinois · Verified November 2026

Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Illinois

What Are the Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Illinois?

McHenry County College in Crystal Lake ranks first among 11 schools offering sterile processing technician programs in Illinois, with a score of 87 of 100. 11 sterile processing technician programs in Illinois run at 11 schools, with the most in Chicago, Glen Ellyn and Elgin. 10 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 $1,670 at Illinois Central College. Medical equipment preparers in Illinois earn a median of $48,050 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Researched and edited by · Updated

schools in Illinois
11
programs
11
include clinical hours
10
median published cost
$1,670
median pay (BLS May 2025)
$48,050

Top Picks in Illinois

PickProgramScore
Best overallMcHenry County College courseCrystal Lake · $1,999 · 400 clinical hours87
Lowest published costIllinois Central College certificateEast Peoria · 52 weeks · $1,67036
FastestCollege of DuPage certificateGlen Ellyn · 8 weeks56
Best online or hybridMidwestern Career College certificateChicago48

The 11 Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Illinois, 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. McHenry County College: Sterile Processing Technician TrainingSterile Processing Technician Training

    87score of 100

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

    McHenry County College (Crystal Lake, IL, public) runs this on campus non-credit course. The school publishes a price of $1,999 for the program. Clinical: Classroom lessons and hands-on clinical labs; after passing the CRCST exam, students complete a 400-hour clinical internship with a preceptor-set schedule.

    Clinical
    400hours, meets 400
    Cost
    $1,999published total
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    • Exam voucher
    • Textbook
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    McHenry County College course on the school's site

  2. College of DuPage: Central Sterile Processing Distribution Technician, CertificateCentral Sterile Processing Distribution Technician, Certificate

    56score of 100

    Best for hands-on training near Glen Ellyn

    College of DuPage (Glen Ellyn, IL, public) runs this on campus certificate. Clinical: CSPD 1211 Central Sterile Processing and Distribution Practicum: 8-week hands-on course in a hospital or surgery center. The school reported 22 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Weeks
    8
    Credits
    12
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Official page for the College of DuPage certificate

  3. Parkland College: Sterile Processing Technician (Certificate, GSPT.CER)Sterile Processing Technician (Certificate, GSPT.CER)

    56score of 100

    Best for hands-on training near Champaign

    Parkland College (Champaign, IL, public) runs this certificate. Clinical: Program completion is followed by required clinical hours. The school reported 23 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Credits
    4
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CSPDTCBSPD

    Apply or ask about the Parkland College certificate

  4. Elgin Community College: Sterile Processing and Distribution, Basic Vocational Certificate (SGT 100)Sterile Processing and Distribution, Basic Vocational Certificate (SGT 100)

    50score of 100

    Best for hands-on training near Elgin

    Elgin Community College (Elgin, IL, public) runs this on campus certificate (One semester). Clinical: Supervised hands-on clinical experience at a health care facility, plus on-campus lab.

    Weeks
    16One semester
    Credits
    5
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA
    • CSPDTCBSPD

    Elgin Community College's own page for this certificate

  5. Oakton College: Sterile Processing Technician CertificateSterile Processing Technician Certificate

    50score of 100

    Best for hands-on training near Des Plaines

    Oakton College (Des Plaines, IL, public) runs this on campus certificate (One semester). Clinical: On-site sterilizing lab plus clinical training in a hospital setting.

    Weeks
    16One semester
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Admission details for the Oakton College certificate

  6. Triton College: Sterile Processing Technician Certificate (Basic, SPT.SPT.CERT)Sterile Processing Technician Certificate (Basic, SPT.SPT.CERT)

    50score of 100

    Best for hands-on training near River Grove

    Triton College (River Grove, IL, public) runs this on campus certificate (Two semesters (fall and spring)). Clinical: SPT 150 Experiential Learning (2.5 credits): supervised clinical experience at cooperating area healthcare facilities.

    Weeks
    32Two semesters (fall and spring)
    Credits
    12.5
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA

    Triton College certificate on the school's site

  7. William Rainey Harper College: Sterile Processing and Distribution CertificateSterile Processing and Distribution Certificate

    49score of 100

    Best for hands-on training near Palatine

    William Rainey Harper College (Palatine, IL, public) runs this on campus certificate. Clinical: Clinical Application for Sterile Processing (3 credits) with clinical assignments. The school reported 5 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Weeks
    8
    Credits
    11
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA
    • CSPDTCBSPD

    Official page for the William Rainey Harper College certificate

  8. Midwestern Career College: Sterile Processing Technician ProgramSterile Processing Technician Program

    48score of 100

    Best for hybrid study near Chicago

    Midwestern Career College (Chicago, IL, private for-profit) runs this hybrid certificate (40 instructional weeks (2 terms)). Clinical: Hands-on laboratory training combined with online lectures. The school reported 4 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Includes
    • Clinicals
    Prepares for
    • CSPDTCBSPD

    Apply or ask about the Midwestern Career College certificate

  9. Illinois Central College: Central Sterile Service Technician CertificateCentral Sterile Service Technician Certificate

    36score of 100

    Best for a published, all-in price near East Peoria

    Illinois Central College (East Peoria, IL, public) runs this on campus certificate. The school publishes a price of $1,670 for the program (2026-27). Clinical: Campus laboratories replicate healthcare settings with the same equipment as local hospitals. The school reported 2 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Weeks
    52
    Credits
    10
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Cost
    $1,670published total, 2026-27
    Includes
    • Clinicals

    Illinois Central College's own page for this certificate

  10. Lincoln Land Community College: Central Sterile Service Technician, Certificate of CompletionCentral Sterile Service Technician, Certificate of Completion

    32score of 100

    Best for classroom preparation near Springfield

    Lincoln Land Community College (Springfield, IL, public) runs this on campus certificate (16 weeks (one semester)). The school reported 9 sterile processing awards for 2022-23 (IPEDS).

    Weeks
    1616 weeks (one semester)
    Credits
    8.5
    Cost
    $146.50per credit, 2026-27
    Prepares for
    • CRCSTHSPA
    • CSPDTCBSPD

    Admission details for the Lincoln Land Community College certificate

  11. Malcolm X College (City Colleges of Chicago): Basic Certificate in Sterile ProcessingBasic Certificate in Sterile Processing

    25score of 100

    Best for hands-on training near Chicago

    Malcolm X College (City Colleges of Chicago) (Chicago, IL, public) runs this on campus certificate (One semester). Clinical: Classroom theory and lab on site, with off-site clinical experience in central service departments, Monday through Friday.

    Weeks
    16One semester
    Clinical
    Yesincluded
    Includes
    • Clinicals

    Malcolm X College certificate on the school's site

Sterile Processing Schools in Illinois, Compared

SchoolBest scoreCredentialsClinicalLowest published costAwards, 2022-23
McHenry County College: official siteCrystal Lake · Public87Non-credit course400 hr$1,999
College of DuPage: official siteGlen Ellyn · Public56CertificateIncluded22
Parkland College: official siteChampaign · Public56CertificateIncluded23
Elgin Community College: official siteElgin · Public50CertificateIncluded
Oakton College: official siteDes Plaines · Public50CertificateIncluded
Triton College: official siteRiver Grove · Public50CertificateIncluded
William Rainey Harper College: official sitePalatine · Public49CertificateIncluded5
Midwestern Career College: official siteChicago · Private for-profit48CertificateIncluded4
Illinois Central College: official siteEast Peoria · Public36CertificateIncluded$1,6702
Lincoln Land Community College: official siteSpringfield · Public32Certificate9
Malcolm X College (City Colleges of Chicago): official siteChicago · Public25CertificateIncluded

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 Illinois

Online and Hybrid Options for Illinois 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 Illinois.

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
Midwestern Career College certificate: hybrid program pageChicago, ILHybridIncluded

See the online program rankings

How We Rank Sterile Processing Programs in Illinois

Every Illinois 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 Illinois

No Illinois 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 Illinois

bottom tenth
$38,280
median
$48,050
top tenth
$66,390
employed
2,800

Illinois's median of $48,050 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 Illinois

Programs Near Illinois Cities

Questions About Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Illinois

What Is the Best Sterile Processing Technician Program in Illinois?

Sterile Processing Technician Training at McHenry County College ranks first with a score of 87 of 100, ahead of College of DuPage (56) and Parkland College (56). 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 Illinois Have?

11 at 11 schools, verified on each school's own site in November 2026. Chicago (2), Glen Ellyn (1), Elgin (1) and East Peoria (1) have the most.

Which Illinois Programs Include Clinical Hours?

College of DuPage, Elgin Community College, Illinois Central College, Malcolm X College, McHenry County College and Midwestern Career College and others 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 Illinois?

Among the 2 Illinois programs that publish a price for the whole program, cost runs from $1,670 to $1,999, with a median of $1,670.

How Much Do Sterile Processing Technicians Make in Illinois?

The median for medical equipment preparers in Illinois is $48,050 a year, with the bottom tenth earning $38,280 and the top tenth $66,390, across 2,800 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $47,700. Pay in every state.

Can Illinois Residents Train Online?

Partly. 3 programs put all coursework online, and 1 Illinois 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 11 Illinois 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