Texas · Verified November 2026
Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Texas
What Are the Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Texas?
Temple College in Temple ranks first among 15 schools offering sterile processing technician programs in Texas, with a score of 61 of 100. 17 sterile processing technician programs in Texas run at 15 schools, with the most in Houston, San Antonio and Austin. 15 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 $900 at Del Mar College. Sterile processing technicians in Texas earn a median of $46,970 a year (BLS, May 2025, medical equipment preparers).
- schools in Texas
- 15
- programs
- 17
- include clinical hours
- 15
- median published cost
- $1,960
- median pay (BLS May 2025)
- $46,970
Top Picks in Texas
| Pick | Program | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Temple CollegeTemple · Non-credit course · 22 weeks · $2,234 · 80 clinical hours | 61 |
| Best for the CRCST's 400 hours | Lone Star College-TomballTomball · Non-credit course · 400 clinical hours | 58 |
| Lowest published cost | Del Mar CollegeCorpus Christi · Non-credit course · $900 | 60 |
| Fastest | Kilgore CollegeKilgore · Non-credit course · 8 weeks · $900 | 54 |
| Best online or hybrid | Austin Community CollegeAustin · Non-credit course · 13 weeks · $1,140 | 59 |
The 10 Best Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Texas, 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 the field (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.
Temple College: Sterile Processing and Distribution TechnicianSterile Processing and Distribution Technician
61scoreBest for having the certification exam paid for near Temple
Temple College (Temple, TX, public) runs this on campus non-credit course (5 months). The school publishes a price of $2,234 for the program (2026-27). Clinical: SRGT 1060 Clinical, 80 contact hours; students may be eligible for an optional 80-hour off-site externship Monday to Friday. Evening classes are offered.
- Weeks
- 225 months
- Instruction
- 160 hr
- Clinical
- 80 hr
- Cost
- $2,234published total, 2026-27
Includes- Clinicals
- Exam voucher
- Textbook
Prepares forDel Mar College: Sterile Processing TechnicianSterile Processing Technician
60scoreBest for hybrid study near Corpus Christi
Del Mar College (Corpus Christi, TX, public) runs this hybrid non-credit course. The school publishes a price of $900 for the program. Clinical: Clinical rotations at local hospital sites.
- Instruction
- 80 hr
- Clinical
- Included
- Cost
- $900published total
Includes- Clinicals
Prepares forAustin Community College: Sterile Processing (Certified Sterile Processing Technician)Sterile Processing (Certified Sterile Processing Technician)
59scoreBest for hybrid study near Austin
Austin Community College (Austin, TX) runs this hybrid non-credit course (3 months, about 9 hours per week). The school publishes a price of $1,140 for the program (2026-27). Clinical: SRGT-1060 Sterile Processing Clinical at a local hospital.
- Weeks
- 133 months, about 9 hours per week
- Clinical
- Included
- Cost
- $1,140published total, 2026-27
Includes- Clinicals
Prepares forLone Star College-Tomball: Sterile Processing Technician Practicum TrackSterile Processing Technician Practicum Track
58scoreBest for covering the CRCST's 400 hands-on hours near Tomball
Lone Star College-Tomball (Tomball, TX) runs this non-credit course. Clinical: 400-hour Sterile Processing Practicum, open after completing the Non-Practicum Certificate.
- Clinical
- 400 hr
Includes- Clinicals
Kilgore College: Sterile ProcessingSterile Processing
54scoreBest for having the certification exam paid for near Kilgore
Kilgore College (Kilgore, TX, public) runs this on campus non-credit course. The school publishes a price of $900 for the program (2026-27). Clinical: Clinical training on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from week 4 at assigned facilities.
- Weeks
- 8
- Clinical
- Included
- Cost
- $900published total, 2026-27
Includes- Clinicals
- Exam voucher
Alamo Colleges District (Alamo Technical Institute): Certified Sterile Processing Technician (CSPDT)Certified Sterile Processing Technician (CSPDT)
53scoreBest for having the certification exam paid for near San Antonio
Alamo Colleges District (Alamo Technical Institute) (San Antonio, TX) runs this hybrid non-credit course (5 months). The school publishes a price of $3,855 for the program. Clinical: 112-hour supervised externship in healthcare settings.
- Weeks
- 225 months
- Instruction
- 264 hr
- Clinical
- 112 hr
- Cost
- $3,855published total
Includes- Clinicals
- Exam voucher
Prepares forDallas College: Sterile Processing TechnicianSterile Processing Technician
52scoreBest for hybrid study near Dallas
Dallas College (Dallas, TX, public) runs this hybrid non-credit course (About 4 months). The school publishes a price of $1,960 for the program (2026-27). Clinical: SRGT 1060 Sterile Processing Clinical, 120 hours.
- Weeks
- 17About 4 months
- Instruction
- 216 hr
- Clinical
- 120 hr
- Cost
- $1,960published total, 2026-27
Includes- Clinicals
Prepares forCollin College: Central Sterile Processing, Level 1 CertificateCentral Sterile Processing, Level 1 Certificate
50scoreBest for hybrid study near McKinney
Collin College (McKinney, TX, public) runs this hybrid certificate (2 semesters). Clinical: HPRS 1561 on-site clinical capstone in the second (spring) semester.
- Weeks
- 322 semesters
- Credits
- 16
- Clinical
- Included
Includes- Clinicals
Prepares forConcorde Career College: Sterile Processing Technician DiplomaSterile Processing Technician Diploma
50scoreBest for hybrid study near San Antonio
Concorde Career College (San Antonio, TX) runs this hybrid diploma. Clinical: 80-hour unpaid, in-person externship toward the 400-hour HSPA requirement; graduates complete the remaining 320 hours on their own.
- Weeks
- 22
- Instruction
- 216 hr
- Clinical
- 80 hr
Includes- Clinicals
Prepares forSouth Plains College: Certificate in Sterile Processing TechnicianCertificate in Sterile Processing Technician
50scoreBest for hybrid study near Lubbock
South Plains College (Lubbock, TX) runs this hybrid certificate (2 semesters). Clinical: Experience in a sterile processing and central service setting. Evening classes are offered.
- Weeks
- 322 semesters
- Clinical
- Included
Includes- Clinicals
Prepares for
More Texas Sterile Processing Schools: Ranks 11 to 15
How this list is ranked: the same score as the ranking above, continued.
| Rank | Program | Score | Length | Clinical | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Tarrant County College District: Central Sterile Processing Certificate (Level 1)Fort Worth, TX | 46 | 32 weeks | 240 hours | $1,184 |
| 12 | Fortis College: Sterile Processing TechnicianHouston, TX | 45 | 780 hours | 180 hours | $18,063 |
| 13 | Fortis Institute: Sterile Processing TechnicianHouston, TX | 44 | 900 hours | Included | $18,063 |
| 14 | College of the Mainland: Sterile Processing Technician CertificateTexas City, TX | 25 | 17 weeks | Included | |
| 15 | Houston Community College: Sterile Processing, C1Houston, TX | 25 | 32 weeks | Included |
Sterile Processing Schools in Texas, Compared
All 15 sterile processing schools in Texas, side by side: each school's best score, the credentials it offers, its longest stated clinical placement, its lowest published price and its federal award count.
| School | Best score | Credentials | Clinical | Lowest published cost | Awards, 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple College: official siteTemple · Public | 61 | Non-credit course | 80 hr | $2,234 | |
| Del Mar College: official siteCorpus Christi · Public | 60 | Non-credit course | Included | $900 | |
| Austin Community College: official siteAustin | 59 | Non-credit course | Included | $1,140 | |
| Lone Star College-Tomball: official siteTomball | 58 | Non-credit course | 400 hr | ||
| Kilgore College: official siteKilgore · Public | 54 | Non-credit course | Included | $900 | |
| Alamo Colleges District (Alamo Technical Institute): official siteSan Antonio | 53 | Non-credit course | 112 hr | $3,855 | |
| Dallas College: official siteDallas · Public | 52 | Non-credit course | 120 hr | $1,960 | |
| Collin College: official siteMcKinney · Public | 50 | Certificate | Included | ||
| Concorde Career College: official siteSan Antonio | 50 | Diploma | 80 hr | ||
| South Plains College: official siteLubbock | 50 | Certificate | Included | ||
| Tarrant County College District: official siteFort Worth · Public | 46 | Certificate | 240 hr | $1,184 | 3 |
| Fortis College: official siteHouston · Private for-profit | 45 | Diploma | 180 hr | $18,063 | 32 |
| Fortis Institute: official siteHouston · Private for-profit | 44 | Diploma | Included | $18,063 | 32 |
| College of the Mainland: official siteTexas City · Public | 25 | Non-credit course | Included | ||
| Houston Community College: official siteHouston · Public | 25 | Certificate | Included |
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.
Sterile Processing Technician Training in Texas: Every Program
Texas has 8 for-credit programs (certificate, diploma or degree) and 9 non-credit courses; 3 offer evening or weekend classes, and 12 are hybrid. Each row links to the school's own program page.
From each school's own program page, reviewed November 2026. Cost is the school's published price or its stated rate. Blank cells: the school's pages don't give that figure.
Online Sterile Processing Technician Programs for Texas 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 Texas.
| Program | Format | Length | Clinical hours | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kishwaukee College: online program pageMalta, IL | Online | 16 weeks | $1,300published total, 2026-27 | |
| Herzing University-Madison: online program pageMadison, WI | Online | 43 weeks | Included | $530per credit, 2026-27 |
| Lehman College: online program pageBronx, NY | Online | 80 hours | Included | |
| Alamo Colleges District: hybrid program pageSan Antonio, TX | Hybrid | 22 weeks | 112 | $3,855published total |
| Austin Community College: hybrid program pageAustin, TX | Hybrid | 13 weeks | Included | $1,140published total, 2026-27 |
| Collin College: hybrid program pageMcKinney, TX | Hybrid | 32 weeks | Included | |
| Concorde Career College: hybrid program pageSan Antonio, TX | Hybrid | 22 weeks | 80 | |
| Dallas College: hybrid program pageDallas, TX | Hybrid | 17 weeks | 120 | $1,960published total, 2026-27 |
| Del Mar College: hybrid program pageCorpus Christi, TX | Hybrid | 80 hours | Included | $900published total |
| Fortis College: hybrid program pageHouston, TX | Hybrid | 780 hours | 180 | $18,063published total, 2025-26 |
| Fortis Institute: hybrid program pageHouston, TX | Hybrid | 900 hours | Included | $18,063published total, 2025-26 |
| Houston Community College certificate: hybrid program pageHouston, TX | Hybrid | 32 weeks | Included | |
| Houston Community College certificate: hybrid program pageHouston, TX | Hybrid | 32 weeks | ||
| South Plains College: hybrid program pageLubbock, TX | Hybrid | 32 weeks | Included | |
| Tarrant County College District: hybrid program pageFort Worth, TX | Hybrid | 32 weeks | 240 | $1,184published total, 2026-27 |
How the Texas Programs Are Scored
Every Texas 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.
| Part | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Hands-on training | 35 | Clinical 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 prep | 25 | 15 points when the program's page names the CRCST or CSPDT exam, and 10 more when the exam fee or a voucher is included. |
| Cost | 25 | The whole-program price the school publishes, ranked against every priced program. Per-credit rates are never multiplied out. |
| Track record | 15 | Awards in the field 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. |
Sterile Processing Technician Certification in Texas
No Texas 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 hospital 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 Texas
- bottom tenth
- $35,390
- median
- $46,970
- top tenth
- $69,950
- employed
- 4,520
Texas's median of $46,970 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 Texas
- Baton Rouge Community CollegeBaton Rouge, LA · certificate
- Delgado Community CollegeNew Orleans, LA · certificate
- Fletcher Technical Community CollegeSchriever, LA · certificate
- Southern University at ShreveportShreveport, LA · certificate
- Central New Mexico Community CollegeAlbuquerque, NM · certificate
Sterile Processing Classes Near Texas Cities
Each city page lists the classes you can attend in person within 50 miles, with the distance, plus online options. The number after a city is how many programs are that close; a city without one shows the closest schools instead.
- Alamo
- Allen 3
- Amarillo
- Arlington 3
- Austin 1
- Baytown 7
- Beaumont
- Bedford 3
- Brownsville
- Carrollton 3
- Cedar Hill 3
- Cibolo 2
- Conroe 6
- Coppell 3
- Corpus Christi 1
- Dallas 3
- Deer Park 7
- Denton 3
- El Paso
- Fairview 3
- Fort Worth 3
- Frisco 3
- Fulshear 6
- Grand Prairie 3
- Harlingen
- Horizon City
- Houston 7
- Humble 7
- Irving 3
- Katy 6
- Kilgore 1
- Killeen 1
- Kyle 1
- Lake Jackson 4
- Lavon 2
- League City 5
- Leon Valley 2
- Little Elm 3
- Lubbock 1
- Lufkin
- Manor 1
- McAllen
- McKinney 3
- Melissa 2
- Mesquite 3
- Midland
- Midlothian 2
- New Braunfels 3
- North Richland Hills 3
- Odessa
- Paris
- Pasadena 7
- Pearland 7
- Plano 3
- Port Arthur 1
- Randolph AFB 2
- Richmond 7
- Rosenberg 6
- Round Rock 2
- San Antonio 2
- Sugar Land 7
- Temple 1
- Texas City 5
- The Woodlands 6
- Tomball 6
- Victoria
- Waco 1
- Waxahachie 2
- Weatherford 1
- Webster 7
- Wharton 1
- Wichita Falls
- Wylie 2
Questions About Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Texas
What Is the Best Sterile Processing Technician Program in Texas?
Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician at Temple College ranks first with a score of 61 of 100, ahead of Del Mar College (60) and Austin 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 Sterile Processing Technician Programs Are in Texas?
17 at 15 schools, verified on each school's own site in November 2026. Houston (3), San Antonio (2), Austin (1) and Texas City (1) have the most.
How Do You Become a Sterile Processing Technician in Texas?
Finish a training program (17 run in Texas), log hands-on hours in a hospital, and pass a certification exam: HSPA's CRCST, which needs 400 hands-on hours for full certification, or CBSPD's CSPDT. Texas has no certification law in force, but many hospitals hire for the CRCST. Every step in order.
How Long Is Sterile Processing Training in Texas?
From 8 to 32 weeks among the 12 Texas programs that state a length, with a median of 22 weeks. Clinical hours can add time when they come after the classroom part.
Which Texas Programs Include Clinical Hours?
Alamo Colleges District, Austin Community College, College of the Mainland, Collin College, Concorde Career College and Dallas 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 Texas?
Among the 9 Texas programs that publish a price for the whole program, cost runs from $900 to $18,063, with a median of $1,960.
Which Texas Programs Prepare You for the CRCST?
7 of the 17 name the CRCST on their own pages, and 3 include the exam fee or a voucher. The certification program ranking puts those first.
How Much Do Sterile Processing Technicians Make in Texas?
The median for medical equipment preparers in Texas is $46,970 a year, with the bottom tenth earning $35,390 and the top tenth $69,950, across 4,520 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $47,700. Pay in every state.
Can Texas Residents Train Online?
Partly. 3 programs put all coursework online, and 12 Texas programs are hybrid, but the CRCST's 400 hands-on hours happen in a real hospital department. Online program rankings.
More Rankings and Certification Guides
- Best Programs NationwideEvery verified program, scored on hands-on hours, certification prep, cost and track record
- Online and Hybrid RankingsOnline and hybrid programs, and how each one gets you hands-on hours
- Most Affordable RankingsPrograms ranked by the whole-program price each school publishes
- With Externships RankingsPrograms with clinical hours in a hospital sterile processing department
- CRCST CertificationThe 400-hour requirement and the exam
- Certification Requirements by StateWhich states require it by law
- Best Programs in Louisiana5 schools
- Best Programs in New Mexico1 school
- Rankings by StateEvery state's ranking
Sources
- Official program pages of the 15 Texas schools listed, reviewed November 2026
- U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS completions 2022-23, CIP 51.1012
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Medical Equipment Preparers, state estimates