Surgical Technologist Schools

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Being a life-saving member of a surgical team is a noble goal, but completing the years of training that a surgeon must complete is a commitment that not many can stomach. Luckily, becoming a surgical technologist allows for those who are passionate about healthcare to participate in surgical procedures without becoming surgeons. Not only is this an exciting and rewarding job, but the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2017) projects that it is also one that’s growing quite quickly. Between 2016 and 2026, need in this area is expected to rise by 12 percent, which is nearly double that of all other fields (7 percent).

Still, even though becoming a surgical technologist does not require as much education as becoming a doctor or surgeon, it does require completion of a rigorous program that can take between one and a half and two years to complete. Students will learn basic anatomy and medical terminology, understand the differences between various surgical procedures, and learn how to best assist both doctors and patients in preparing for surgeries.

One of the main components of a surgical technology program is the practicum. The practicum is a hands-on clinical rotation that allows students to apply their academic learning in a real-world setting and is one of the vital requirements to become certified to practice as a surgical technologist.

Although there are many surgical technologist schools from which to choose, matriculation alone may not qualify graduates to enter the workforce, since some states require surgical techs to be board-certified through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA). For this reason, it is safest and generally best to seek out appropriately accredited programs that help prepare students for board certification.

Surgical Technologist fast facts
Projected Jobs Created12,600
Projected Job Growth12%
Low Salary$32,470
Average Salary (Median)$48,060
High Salary$67,000
Entry-Level EDU Certification
Sourced from BLS, June 2018

Degree & certification Programs

Most surgical technologist schools culminate in an associate’s in science (AS) or associate in applied science (AAS) degree. There are, however, a handful of schools that offer a certificate program or a bachelor’s of science (BS) degree in health sciences with a surgical specialty. Associate degree programs usually take between one and two years, while an accelerated certificate program can be completed in nine months.

Students pursuing a BS in surgical technology can expect to spend between four and five years completing their degree, although they may be in a better position to continue health education or take on administrative responsibilities upon graduation.

  • Northern Michigan University (AAS) – Of the most well-known associate’s degree programs for surgical technology, one of the finest is offered at Northern Michigan University (NMU), located in Marquette, Michigan. This program can be completed in approximately a year and a half, and allows students to sit for the national board exam offered through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA). Students in the NMU program must take core college courses such as composition in addition to surgical technology-specific courses such as clinical assisting, general surgical procedures, and human anatomy and physiology. In order to graduate, students must also take a 500-hour, 21-week supervised practicum at an NMU affiliated hospital.
  • South Plains College (Certificate, AAS) – A very versatile program, South Plains College in Levelland, Texas provides options for both new healthcare students and seasoned healthcare professionals to study surgical technology with an AAS and a certificate of proficiency track. While both options allow the student to sit for the national board exam, only the AAS option includes a practicum as a part of the coursework. The certificate program, which includes a capstone experience in lieu of a practicum, is available to students who are already working as surgical technologists and want to qualify for board certification.
  • New England Institute of Technology (AS) – Students who graduate from the New England Institute of Technology (NEIT), located in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, have a reputation for finding jobs quickly, often in the New England area where they do their practicum experiences. Prior to completing the practicum, students at NEIT will complete 160 hours of intensive, surgical simulation. Graduates of this 18-month program finish their AS degree with the opportunity to be board certified.
  • Virginia College (AS) – Although this is a residential Surgical Technologist program, the Virginia College has a range of campuses across the south, including Mobile, Alabama, Pensacola, Florida and Greenville, South Carolina. The 88-week program includes simulated surgical experiences in addition to an 11-week externship experience where students will assist in at least 120 patient cases.
  • Carrington College (Certificate, AS) – With campuses in both CItrus Heights and San Jose, California, Carrington College offers both a certificate and associate’s degree program for surgical technologists. Students graduating from this school have the option to become board certified. The Carrington program requires students to complete 120 surgical cases before they graduate, to ensure its graduates are properly prepared to join the workforce right away.
  • Southeast Community College (AAS) – Southeast Community College (SCC), with three campuses in Nebraska, offers a surgical technology program that is one of the most flexible as well, providing an excellent online cohort in conjunction with a local clinical practicum. In 2017, 88 percent of surgical technology graduates from SCC were employed locally upon graduation, which is certainly an encouraging statistic.
  • Kingsborough Community College (AAS) – Located in the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn, New York, Kingsborough Community College (KCC) offers a surgical technology program that requires 64 credits to complete. After the initial semester, students must register for practicum hours for every subsequent semester in order to gain the necessary clinical experience. But that experience pays off, with 100 percent of 2017 graduates passing the certified surgical technologist (CST) exam.

List of Surgical Technologist Schools

Filter by state :
School City State Website Total grads (2013)
Instituto de Banca y Comercio Inc Guaynabo Puerto Rico http://www.ibanca.net 308
Dover Business College Clifton New Jersey http://www.dover.edu 167
Wayne County Community College District Detroit Michigan http://www.wcccd.edu 156
Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis Indiana http://www.ivytech.edu 112
Star Career Academy-Clifton Clifton New Jersey http://www.starcareer.edu/ 99
Ponce Paramedical College Inc Ponce Puerto Rico http://www.popac.edu 94
San Jacinto Community College Pasadena Texas http://www.sjcd.edu 92
Star Career Academy-Philadelphia Philadelphia Pennsylvania http://www.starcareer.edu/ 83
CBD College Los Angeles California http://www.cbd.edu 81
McCann School of Business & Technology Pottsville Pennsylvania http://www.mccann.edu 74
Madisonville Community College Madisonville Kentucky http://www.madisonville.kctcs.edu/ 69
Star Career Academy??rick Brick New Jersey http://www.starcareer.edu/ 67
EDIC College Caguas Puerto Rico http://www.ediccollege.edu/site/home 64
American Career College-Anaheim Anaheim California http://americancareercollege.edu/ 62
Southeastern College-Greenacres Greenacres Florida http://www.sec.edu/ 61
Mandl School-The College of Allied Health New York New York http://mandl.edu/ 57
Premiere Career College Irwindale California http://www.premierecollege.edu 57
Antilles School of Technical Careers San Juan Puerto Rico http://antillespr.edu/ 56
Concorde Career College-Grand Prairie Grand Prairie Texas http://www.concorde.edu 56
Star Career Academy-New York New York New York http://www.starcareer.edu/ 56
Star Career Academy-Newark Newark New Jersey http://www.starcareer.edu/ 55
Career Networks Institute Orange California http://cnicollege.edu/ 53
Glendale Career College Glendale California http://www.success.edu 51
Central Ohio Technical College Newark Ohio http://www.cotc.edu 50
Omega Institute Pennsauken New Jersey http://omegainstitute.edu/ 48
New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich Rhode Island http://www.neit.edu 47
Renton Technical College Renton Washington http://www.rtc.edu 47
Massachusetts Bay Community College Wellesley Hills Massachusetts http://www.massbay.edu 43
Anthem College-Sacramento Sacramento California http://www.anthem.edu 42
Lincoln Technical Institute-Fern Park Fern Park Florida http://www.lincolnedu.com/ 42
American College of Healthcare Riverside California http://www.ach.edu/programs/surgical-technology-school-riverside/ 41
Pittsburgh Technical Institute Oakdale Pennsylvania http://www.pti.edu 41
American Career College-Los Angeles Los Angeles California http://americancareercollege.edu/ 40
Career Technical College-Monroe Monroe Louisiana http://www.careertc.edu 40
Baker College of Flint Flint Michigan http://www.baker.edu 39
Brown Mackie College-St Louis Fenton Missouri https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 38
ECPI University Virginia Beach Virginia http://www.ecpi.edu 38
Hinds Community College Raymond Mississippi http://www.hindscc.edu 38
American Career College-Ontario Ontario California http://americancareercollege.edu/ 37
Baker College of Muskegon Muskegon Michigan http://www.Baker.edu 37
Columbus State Community College Columbus Ohio http://www.cscc.edu/ 37
Concorde Career College-Memphis Memphis Tennessee http://www.concorde.edu 37
Concorde Career College-San Bernardino San Bernardino California http://www.concorde.edu 37
Concorde Career Institute-Miramar Miramar Florida http://www.concorde.edu 37
Concorde Career College-Portland Portland Oregon http://www.concorde.edu 36
Concorde Career Institute-Orlando Orlando Florida http://www.concorde.edu 36
Concorde Career Institute-San Antonio San Antonio Texas http://www.concorde.edu 36
Macomb Community College Warren Michigan http://www.macomb.edu 36
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City Kansas City Missouri http://www.mcckc.edu/programs/surgicaltechnology/ 36
Niagara County Community College Sanborn New York http://www.niagaracc.suny.edu 36
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay Wisconsin https://www.nwtc.edu/ 36
Brown Mackie College-Merrillville Merrillville Indiana https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 35
City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College Chicago Illinois http://www.ccc.edu/colleges/malcolm-x/pages/default.aspx 35
Harrison College-Indianapolis Indianapolis Indiana http://harrison.edu 35
Southern Crescent Technical College Griffin Georgia https://www.sctech.edu/ 35
Miller-Motte Technical College-Chattanooga Chattanooga Tennessee http://www.miller-motte.edu 34
Savannah Technical College Savannah Georgia http://www.savannahtech.edu 34
Atenas College Manati Puerto Rico http://atenascollege.edu/ 33
Columbus Technical College Columbus Georgia http://www.columbustech.edu/ 33
Southwest Florida College Fort Myers Florida http://www.southerntech.edu/ 33
Concorde Career College-North Hollywood North Hollywood California http://www.concorde.edu 32
Concorde Career College-San Diego San Diego California http://www.concorde.edu 32
Everest College-Reseda Reseda California http://www.everest.edu/locations 32
Star Career Academy-Egg Harbor Egg Harbor Township New Jersey http://www.starcareer.edu 32
Austin Community College District Austin Texas http://www.austincc.edu 31
Concorde Career Institute-Tampa Tampa Florida http://www.concorde.edu 31
James H Faulkner State Community College Bay Minette Alabama http://www.faulknerstate.edu 31
Carrington College California-Citrus Heights Citrus Heights California http://carrington.edu/ 30
Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport Iowa http://www.eicc.edu 30
Brookline College-Tempe Tempe Arizona http://brooklinecollege.edu/ 29
D G Erwin Technical Center Tampa Florida http://erwin.edu 29
Guilford Technical Community College Jamestown North Carolina http://home.gtcc.edu/ 29
Rasmussen College-Minnesota St. Cloud Minnesota http://www.rasmussen.edu 29
Baker College of Jackson Jackson Michigan http://www.baker.edu 28
Delgado Community College New Orleans Louisiana http://WWW.DCC.EDU 28
Eastwick College-Ramsey Ramsey New Jersey http://www.eastwickcollege.edu 28
Frederick Community College Frederick Maryland http://www.frederick.edu 28
Houston Community College Houston Texas http://www.hccs.edu 28
Nevada Career Institute Las Vegas Nevada http://nevadacareerinstitute.com/ 28
Wichita Area Technical College Wichita Kansas http://www.ubatc.edu/ 28
Bunker Hill Community College Boston Massachusetts http://www.bhcc.mass.edu 27
Concorde Career Institute-Dallas Dallas Texas http://www.concorde.edu 27
Daytona State College Daytona Beach Florida http://www.daytonastate.edu/ 27
The Bryman School of Arizona Phoenix Arizona http://www.anthem.edu/UEICollege 27
Anthem Institute-Las Vegas Las Vegas Nevada http://www.anthem.edu 26
Brown Mackie College-Akron Akron Ohio https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 26
Brown Mackie College-Tucson Tucson Arizona https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 26
Fortis College-Baton Rouge Baton Rouge Louisiana https://www.fortis.edu/ 26
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Perkinston Mississippi https://www.mgccc.edu 26
Nashville State Community College Nashville Tennessee http://www.nscc.edu 26
Star Career Academy-Audubon Audubon Pennsylvania http://www.starcareer.edu/ 26
Columbia Basin College Pasco Washington http://www.columbiabasin.edu 26
Concorde Career Institute-Jacksonville Jacksonville Florida http://www.concorde.edu 26
Anthem College-Kansas City Kansas City Missouri http://www.anthem.edu 25
Concorde Career College-Aurora Aurora Colorado http://www.concorde.edu 25
Gwinnett Technical College Lawrenceville Georgia http://www.GwinnettTech.edu 25
Palm Beach State College Lake Worth Florida http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/ 25
Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City Utah http://www.slcc.edu 25
Skyline College San Bruno California http://skylinecollege.edu 25
Salter School of Nursing and Allied Health Manchester New Hampshire http://salternursing.com/ 24
Tulsa Technology Center-Lemley Campus Tulsa Oklahoma http://www.tulsatech.edu 24
Virginia College-Austin Austin Texas http://www.vc.edu/ 24
Clover Park Technical College Lakewood Washington http://www.cptc.edu 24
Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rome Georgia http://www.gntc.edu 24
Miller-Motte College-Cary Cary North Carolina http://www.miller-motte.edu 24
Miller-Motte Technical College-North Charleston Charleston South Carolina http://www.miller-motte.edu/ 24
Brown Mackie College-Fort Wayne Fort Wayne Indiana https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 23
Central Georgia Technical College Warner Robins Georgia http://www.centralgatech.edu 23
Nassau Community College Garden City New York http://www.ncc.edu/ 23
Northern Michigan University Marquette Michigan http://www.nmu.edu 23
Northland Community and Technical College Thief River Falls Minnesota http://www.northlandcollege.edu 23
Ozarks Technical Community College Springfield Missouri http://www.otc.edu 23
Tarrant County College District Fort Worth Texas http://www.tccd.edu 23
Anthem College-Brookfield Brookfield Wisconsin http://www.anthem.edu 22
Anthem College-Maryland Heights Maryland Heights Missouri http://www.anthem.edu 22
Brown Mackie College-Albuquerque Albuquerque New Mexico https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 22
Carrington College California-San Jose San Jose California http://carrington.edu/ 22
Herzing University-Kenner Kenner Louisiana https://www.herzing.edu/ 22
Rochester Community and Technical College Rochester Minnesota http://www.rctc.edu/ 22
Saint Louis Community College Saint Louis Missouri http://www.stlcc.edu 22
St Cloud Technical and Community College Saint Cloud Minnesota http://www.sctcc.edu 22
York Technical College Rock Hill South Carolina http://www.yorktech.edu 22
Albany Technical College Albany Georgia http://www.albanytech.edu 21
Amarillo College Amarillo Texas https://www.actx.edu/ 21
Bevill State Community College Jasper Alabama http://www.bscc.edu 21
GateWay Community College Phoenix Arizona http://www.gatewaycc.edu 21
Greenville Technical College Greenville South Carolina http://www.gvltec.edu/index.aspx 21
Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee Wisconsin http://www.matc.edu/ 21
Mt Hood Community College Gresham Oregon http://www.mhcc.edu 21
North Central Texas College Gainesville Texas http://www.nctc.edu 21
San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield Bakersfield California http://www.sjvc.edu/ 21
Southeast Technical Institute Sioux Falls South Dakota http://www.southeasttech.edu 21
Star Career Academy-Syosset Syosset New York http://www.starcareer.edu/location/long-island-campus-syosset/ 21
West Georgia Technical College Waco Georgia http://www.westgatech.edu 21
Anthem College-Denver Aurora Colorado http://www.anthem.edu 20
Baptist Health Schools-Little Rock Little Rock Arkansas https://www.bhclr.edu/ 20
Brown Mackie College-Findlay Findlay Ohio https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 20
Central Florida Institute Palm Harbor Florida http://www.cfi.edu 20
Columbia Area Career Center Columbia Missouri http://career-center.org/ 20
Davis Applied Technology College Kaysville Utah http://www.datc.edu 20
Eli Whitney Technical High School Hamden Connecticut http://www.cttech.org/whitney/ 20
Everest Institute-Marietta Marietta Georgia http://www.everest.edu/campus/marietta 20
Gadsden State Community College Gadsden Alabama http://www.gadsdenstate.edu 20
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Florida http://www.keiseruniversity.edu 20
Lansing Community College Lansing Michigan http://www.lcc.edu 20
Owens Community College Perrysburg Ohio https://www.owens.edu 20
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Winona Minnesota http://www.smumn.edu 20
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Knoxville Knoxville Tennessee http://www.tcatknoxville.edu/ 20
Triton College River Grove Illinois http://www.triton.edu 20
Brown Mackie College-Greenville Greenville South Carolina https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 19
Brown Mackie College-Tulsa Tulsa Oklahoma https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 19
College of DuPage Glen Ellyn Illinois http://www.cod.edu 19
College of Western Idaho Nampa Idaho http://cwidaho.cc/ 19
Illinois Central College East Peoria Illinois http://icc.edu/ 19
Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids Iowa http://www.kirkwood.edu 19
Lanier Technical College Oakwood Georgia http://www.laniertech.edu/default2.aspx 19
National College-Lexington Lexington Kentucky http://www.national-college.edu 19
University of Cincinnati-Clermont College Batavia Ohio http://www.ucclermont.edu/ 19
Bergen Community College Paramus New Jersey http://www.bergen.edu 18
Bridgeport Hospital School of Nursing Bridgeport Connecticut http://www.bridgeporthospital.org/bhsn/default.aspx 18
Collin County Community College District McKinney Texas http://www.collin.edu 18
East Valley Institute of Technology Mesa Arizona http://www.evit.com 18
Lorain County Community College Elyria Ohio http://www.lorainccc.edu 18
Miller-Motte College-Wilmington Wilmington North Carolina http://www.miller-motte.edu 18
Piedmont Technical College Greenwood South Carolina http://www.ptc.edu 18
Tyler Junior College Tyler Texas http://WWW.TJC.EDU 18
University of Akron Main Campus Akron Ohio http://www.uakron.edu 18
Virginia College-Jacksonville Jacksonville Florida http://www.vc.edu/college/jacksonville-colleges.cfm 18
Western Dakota Technical Institute Rapid City South Dakota https://www.wdt.edu 18
Colegio Mayor de Tecnologia Inc Arroyo Puerto Rico http://www.cmtarroyo.com 17
Colorado Technical University-Greenwood Village Aurora Colorado http://www.coloradotech.edu/denver 17
East Central Community College Decatur Mississippi http://www.eccc.edu 17
El Paso Community College El Paso Texas http://www.epcc.edu/_layouts/temp/index.html 17
Elgin Community College Elgin Illinois http://elgin.edu/homepage.aspx 17
Florence-Darlington Technical College Florence South Carolina http://WWW.FDTC.EDU 17
Itawamba Community College Fulton Mississippi http://www.iccms.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=55 17
John C Calhoun State Community College Tanner Alabama http://www.calhoun.edu 17
Lake Superior College Duluth Minnesota http://www.lsc.edu 17
Madison Area Technical College Madison Wisconsin http://madisoncollege.edu 17
Manchester Community College Manchester Connecticut https://www.manchestercc.edu/ 17
Mohawk Valley Community College Utica New York http://www.mvcc.edu 17
Piedmont Virginia Community College Charlottesville Virginia http://www.pvcc.edu 17
Richmond School of Health and Technology CHESTER Virginia http://chestercareercollege.edu/ 17
Sanford-Brown College-Houston Houston Texas http://www.sanfordbrown.edu/houston 17
Seattle Central College Seattle Washington http://www.seattlecentral.edu 17
Tri-County Technical College Pendleton South Carolina http://www.tctc.edu/ 17
Career Technical College-Shreveport Shreveport Louisiana http://www.careertc.edu 16
Carolinas College of Health Sciences Charlotte North Carolina http://www.carolinashealthcare.org/carolinas-college-of-health-sciences 16
College of Southern Idaho Twin Falls Idaho http://www.csi.edu 16
Delaware County Community College Media Pennsylvania http://www.dccc.edu 16
Fortis College-Orange Park Orange Park Florida https://www.fortis.edu/ 16
Fortis Institute-Fort Lauderdale Lauderdale Lakes Florida https://www.fortis.edu/ 16
Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs Iowa http://www.iwcc.edu/ 16
Miller-Motte Technical College-Lynchburg Lynchburg Virginia http://www.miller-motte.edu/ 16
MiraCosta College Oceanside California http://www.miracosta.edu 16
Moore Norman Technology Center Norman Oklahoma https://www.mntc.edu/classes/health 16
Rasmussen College-North Dakota Fargo North Dakota http://www.rasmussen.edu 16
Santa Fe College Gainesville Florida http://www.sfcollege.edu 16
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro Murfreesboro Tennessee http://www.tcatmurfreesboro.edu 16
The University of Montana Missoula Montana http://www.umt.edu 16
Vincennes University Vincennes Indiana http://vinu.edu/web/guest/home 16
Aiken Technical College Graniteville South Carolina http://www.atc.edu 16
Anoka Technical College Anoka Minnesota http://www.anokatech.edu 16
Anthem College-Atlanta Atlanta Georgia http://www.anthem.edu 16
Baker College of Clinton Township Clinton Township Michigan http://www.baker.edu 16
Brown Mackie College-North Canton Canton Ohio https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 16
Anthem Institute-North Brunswick North Brunswick New Jersey http://www.anthem.edu 15
Brown Mackie College-Atlanta Atlanta Georgia https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 15
Brown Mackie College-San Antonio San Antonio Texas https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 15
Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta Georgia http://www.chattahoocheetech.edu 15
Choffin Career and Technical Center Youngstown Ohio http://www.choffincareer.com 15
College of Central Florida Ocala Florida http://www.cf.edu 15
Eastern Florida State College Cocoa Florida http://www.easternflorida.edu 15
Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville Florida http://www.fscj.edu 15
Fortis College-Columbus Westerville Ohio https://www.fortis.edu/ 15
Fortis Institute-Grand Prairie Grand Prairie Texas https://www.fortis.edu/ 15
Great Plains Technology Center Lawton Oklahoma http://greatplains.edu/ 15
Harris School of Business-Voorhees Campus Voorhees New Jersey http://www.harrisschool.edu 15
Henry Ford Community College Dearborn Michigan https://www.hfcc.edu/ 15
Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway South Carolina http://www.hgtc.edu 15
Miami-Jacobs Career College-Dayton Dayton Ohio http://www.miamijacobs.edu 15
Pennsylvania College of Technology Williamsport Pennsylvania http://www.pct.edu 15
Platt College-Central OKC Oklahoma City Oklahoma http://plattcollege.edu/ 15
Rock Valley College Rockford Illinois http://www.rockvalleycollege.edu 15
Sanford-Brown College-St Peters Saint Peters Missouri http://www.sanfordbrown.edu/st-peters 15
Southern Union State Community College Wadley Alabama http://www.suscc.edu 15
Spencerian College-Louisville Louisville Kentucky http://www.spencerian.edu 15
Temple College Temple Texas http://templejc.edu/ 15
Virginia College-Greenville Greenville South Carolina http://www.vc.edu/ 15
Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City Iowa https://www.witcc.edu/index.cfm? 15
AmeriTech College-Provo Provo Utah http://ameritech.edu/ 14
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Asheville North Carolina https://www.abtech.edu/ 14
Brown Mackie College-Louisville Louisville Kentucky https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 14
Coastal Carolina Community College Jacksonville North Carolina http://www.coastalcarolina.edu/ 14
Everest Institute-Kendall Miami Florida http://www.everest.edu/locations 14
Fresno City College Fresno California http://www.fresnocitycollege.edu 14
Great Lakes Institute of Technology Erie Pennsylvania http://www.glit.edu 14
Iowa Lakes Community College Estherville Iowa http://www.iowalakes.edu 14
Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville Kentucky http://www.jefferson.kctcs.edu 14
Kilgore College Kilgore Texas https://www.kilgore.edu/ 14
Kirtland Community College Roscommon Michigan http://www.kirtland.edu 14
Northwest Technical Institute Springdale Arkansas http://www.nwti.edu 14
O C Collins Career Center Chesapeake Ohio http://www.collins-cc.edu 14
Sanford-Brown College-Dallas Dallas Texas http://www.sanfordbrown.edu/dallas 14
Spartanburg Community College Spartanburg South Carolina https://www.sccsc.edu/home/ 14
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Fort Smith Arkansas http://uafs.edu/ 14
Virginia College-Augusta Augusta Georgia http://www.vc.edu/campus/augusta-georgia-college.cfm 14
Athens Technical College Athens Georgia http://www.athenstech.edu/ 13
Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque New Mexico http://www.cnm.edu 13
College of the Albemarle Elizabeth City North Carolina http://www.albemarle.edu 13
Fortis Institute-Baltimore Baltimore Maryland https://www.fortis.edu/ 13
Franklin Technology-MSSU Joplin Missouri http:// 13
Hillyard Technical Center Saint Joseph Missouri http://www.sjsd.k12.mo.us/Domain/16 13
Luzerne County Community College Nanticoke Pennsylvania http://www.luzerne.edu/default.jsp 13
Maysville Community and Technical College Maysville Kentucky http://maysville.kctcs.edu 13
Meridian Community College Meridian Mississippi http://www.meridiancc.edu 13
Miami-Jacobs Career College-Columbus Columbus Ohio http://www.miamijacobs.edu 13
Midwestern Career College Chicago Illinois http://www.mccollege.edu 13
Oakland Community College Bloomfield Hills Michigan https://www.oaklandcc.edu/ 13
Onondaga Community College Syracuse New York http://www.sunyocc.edu 13
Rolla Technical Institute Rolla Missouri http://rolla.k12.mo.us 13
Sheridan Technical Center Hollywood Florida http://www.SheridanTechnical.com 13
Sinclair Community College Dayton Ohio http://www.sinclair.edu 13
Southeast Arkansas College Pine Bluff Arkansas http://seark.edu/ 13
Swedish Institute a College of Health Sciences New York New York http://www.swedishinstitute.edu 13
Technical College of the Lowcountry Beaufort South Carolina http://www.tcl.edu 13
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Crossville Crossville Tennessee http://www.tcatcrossville.edu 13
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne Fort Wayne Indiana http://www.sf.edu 13
Washington County Career Center-Adult Technical Training Marietta Ohio http://mycareerschool.com/ 13
Aims Community College Greeley Colorado http://www.aims.edu 12
Bossier Parish Community College Bossier City Louisiana http://www.bpcc.edu 12
Central Carolina Technical College Sumter South Carolina http://www.cctech.edu 12
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati Ohio http://www.cincinnatistate.edu 12
Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs Colorado http://www.coloradotech.edu/colorado-springs 12
Del Mar College Corpus Christi Texas http://www.delmar.edu 12
Delta College University Center Michigan http://www.delta.edu/ 12
Durham Technical Community College Durham North Carolina http://www.durhamtech.edu 12
Eastern Idaho Technical College Idaho Falls Idaho http://www.eitc.edu 12
Eastern Virginia Medical School Norfolk Virginia http://www.evms.edu 12
Everest College-Merrillville Merrillville Indiana http://www.everest.edu/locations 12
Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville North Carolina http://www.faytechcc.edu 12
Harris School of Business-Dover Campus Dover Delaware http://www.harrisschool.edu/ 12
Herzing University-Toledo Toledo Ohio http://www.herzing.edu/ 12
Lurleen B Wallace Community College Andalusia Alabama http://www.lbwcc.edu 12
Mid-State Technical College Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin http://www.mstc.edu 12
Monongalia County Technical Education Center Morgantown West Virginia http://mtec.mono.k12.wv.us/ 12
Montgomery College Rockville Maryland http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/edu/ 12
Mt Diablo Adult Education Concord California http://mdae-mdusd-ca.schoolloop.com/ctec 12
Neosho County Community College Chanute Kansas http://www.neosho.edu 12
North Arkansas College Harrison Arkansas http://www.northark.edu 12
Northcentral Technical College Wausau Wisconsin http://www.ntc.edu 12
Our Lady of the Lake College Baton Rouge Louisiana http://www.ololcollege.edu 12
San Juan College Farmington New Mexico http://www.sanjuancollege.edu/pages/1.asp 12
Sandhills Community College Pinehurst North Carolina http://www.sandhills.edu/ 12
Sanford-Brown College-Houston North Loop Houston Texas http://www.sanfordbrown.edu/north-loop 12
Texas State Technical College-Harlingen Harlingen Texas http://www.tstc.edu/ 12
Virginia College-Mobile Mobile Alabama http://www.vc.edu 12
Virginia College-Pensacola Pensacola Florida http://www.vc.edu 12
Western Suffolk BOCES Northport New York http://www.wilsontech.org/ 12
Western Technical College La Crosse Wisconsin http://www.westerntc.edu/default.aspx 12
Allied Health Careers Austin Texas http://www.4meahc.com/ 11
Anthem College-Minnesota Saint Louis Park Minnesota http://www.anthem.edu 11
Bellingham Technical College Bellingham Washington http://www.btc.edu/ 11
Brown Mackie College-Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 11
Brown Mackie College-Northern Kentucky Fort Mitchell Kentucky https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 11
Brown Mackie College-Phoenix Phoenix Arizona https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 11
Cape Coral Institute of Technology Cape Coral Florida http://www.capecoraltech.edu/ 11
Carver Career Center Charleston West Virginia http://www.carvercareercenter.net/ 11
College of Health Care Professions-Northwest Houston Texas http://www.chcp.edu 11
CUNY Kingsborough Community College Brooklyn New York http://www.kbcc.cuny.edu/Pages/default.aspx 11
Fortis College-Richmond Richmond Virginia https://www.fortis.edu/ 11
Hutchinson Community College Hutchinson Kansas http://www.hutchcc.edu 11
Las Positas College Livermore California http://www.laspositascollege.edu 11
Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines Iowa http://www.mchs.edu 11
Metro Technology Centers Oklahoma City Oklahoma http://www.metrotech.edu 11
Midlands Technical College West Columbia South Carolina http://www.midlandstech.edu 11
Mount Aloysius College Cresson Pennsylvania http://www.mtaloy.edu/homecoming/ 11
North Shore Community College Danvers Massachusetts http://www.northshore.edu 11
North-West College-West Covina West Covina California http://www.north-westcollege.edu 11
Oklahoma City Community College Oklahoma City Oklahoma http://www.occc.edu 11
Parkland College Champaign Illinois http://www.parkland.edu 11
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences Lancaster Pennsylvania http://www.pacollege.edu/ 11
Pensacola State College Pensacola Florida http://www.pensacolastate.edu 11
Rockingham Community College Wentworth North Carolina http://www.rockinghamcc.edu 11
San Joaquin Valley College-Fresno Fresno California http://www.sjvc.edu 11
South Central Career Center West Plains Missouri http://www.scccwp.org 11
Springfield Technical Community College Springfield Massachusetts http://www.stcc.edu 11
Stevens-Henager College-Ogden West Haven Utah http://www.stevenshenager.edu 11
Trinity Valley Community College Athens Texas http://www.tvcc.edu 11
Virginia College-Baton Rouge Baton Rouge Louisiana http://www.vc.edu/campus/baton-rouge-louisiana-college.cfm 11
Washburn Institute of Technology Topeka Kansas http://www.washburntech.edu 11
Anne Arundel Community College Arnold Maryland http://www.aacc.edu 10
Baker College of Allen Park Allen Park Michigan http://www.baker.edu 10
Camden County College Blackwood New Jersey http://www.camdencc.edu 10
College of Lake County Grayslake Illinois http://WWW.CLCILLINOIS.EDU 10
Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland Ohio http://www.tri-c.edu 10
Eastern Maine Community College Bangor Maine http://www.emcc.edu 10
James Rumsey Technical Institute Martinsburg West Virginia http://www.jamesrumsey.com 10
Manatee Technical Institute Bradenton Florida http://manateetech.edu/ 10
Medvance Institute-West Palm Palm Springs Florida https://www.fortis.edu/ 10
Minnesota West Community and Technical College Granite Falls Minnesota http://www.mnwest.edu 10
Montgomery County Community College Blue Bell Pennsylvania http://www.mc3.edu 10
Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac Wisconsin http://www.morainepark.edu 10
Northwest Mississippi Community College Senatobia Mississippi http://www.northwestms.edu 10
Ogeechee Technical College Statesboro Georgia http://www.ogeecheetech.edu 10
Paris Junior College Paris Texas http://www.parisjc.edu/ 10
Pearl River Community College Poplarville Mississippi http://www.prcc.edu 10
Prairie State College Chicago Heights Illinois http://prairiestate.edu/ 10
Quincy College Quincy Massachusetts http://www.quincycollege.edu 10
South Arkansas Community College El Dorado Arkansas http://www.southark.edu 10
Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College Bowling Green Kentucky http://www.bowlinggreen.kctcs.edu 10
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College Cumberland Kentucky http://www.southeast.kctcs.edu 10
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Hohenwald Hohenwald Tennessee http://www.tcathohenwald.edu 10
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock Arkansas http://www.uams.edu 10
Vernon College Vernon Texas http://www.vernoncollege.edu 10
Virginia College-Charleston North Charleston South Carolina http://www.vc.edu/college/charleston-colleges.cfm 10
Acadiana Technical College-Lafayette Campus Lafayette Louisiana http://solacc.edu/ 9
Albert I Prince Technical High School Hartford Connecticut http://www.cttech.org/prince/ 9
American National University Salem Virginia https://www.an.edu/ 9
Bluegrass Community and Technical College Lexington Kentucky http://www.bluegrass.kctcs.edu/ 9
Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte North Carolina http://www.cpcc.edu 9
Central Technology Center Drumright Oklahoma http://www.centraltech.edu 9
Fortis College-Houston Houston Texas https://www.fortis.edu/ 9
Harrisburg Area Community College-Harrisburg Harrisburg Pennsylvania http://www.hacc.edu 9
Indian River State College Fort Pierce Florida http://www.irsc.edu 9
Lenoir Community College Kinston North Carolina http://www.lenoircc.edu 9
Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center Miami Florida http://lindsey.dadeschools.net 9
Okefenokee Technical College Waycross Georgia http://www.coastalpines.edu/programs/allied-health-programs/ 9
Orlando Tech Orlando Florida http://www.ocpstechcenters.net/orlandotech/Pages/default.aspx 9
Richland Community College Decatur Illinois http://www.richland.edu 9
Riverside School of Health Careers Newport News Virginia http://www.riversideonline.com/rshc/ 9
Virginia College-Biloxi Biloxi Mississippi http://www.vc.edu/college/biloxi-colleges-mississippi.cfm 9
Wes Watkins Technology Center Wetumka Oklahoma http://www.wwtech.org 9
Angelina College Lufkin Texas http://www.angelina.edu 8
Ashland Community and Technical College Ashland Kentucky http://www.ashland.kctcs.edu/ 8
Baker College of Port Huron Port Huron Michigan http://www.baker.edu/ 8
Brown Mackie College-Michigan City Michigan City Indiana https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 8
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Concord North Carolina http://www.cabarruscollege.edu/index.cfm 8
Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire Wisconsin http://www.cvtc.edu/home.aspx 8
Fortis Institute-Houston Houston Texas https://www.fortis.edu/campuses/texas/houston/450-n-sam-houston-parkway-e-houston-tx.aspx 8
Fortis Institute-Nashville Nashville Tennessee https://www.fortis.edu/ 8
Gateway Technical College Kenosha Wisconsin https://www.gtc.edu/ 8
Great Falls College Montana State University Great Falls Montana http://www.gfcmsu.edu 8
Indian Capital Technology Center-Stilwell Stilwell Oklahoma http://www.ictctech.com 8
John Wood Community College Quincy Illinois https://www.jwcc.edu/ 8
Lackawanna College Scranton Pennsylvania http://www.lackawanna.edu/ 8
Laramie County Community College Cheyenne Wyoming http://www.lccc.wy.edu 8
McLennan Community College Waco Texas http://www.mclennan.edu 8
Miami-Jacobs Career College-Sharonville Sharonville Ohio http://www.miamijacobs.edu 8
National College-Stow Stow Ohio https://www.an.edu/locations/akron-oh/ 8
Northampton County Area Community College Bethlehem Pennsylvania http://www.northampton.edu 8
Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences Reading Pennsylvania https://www.readinghealth.org/ 8
Robert Morris University Illinois Chicago Illinois http://www.robertmorris.edu/ 8
Sanford-Brown College-Skokie Skokie Illinois http://www.sanfordbrown.edu/skokie 8
Southwest Georgia Technical College Thomasville Georgia http://southernregional.edu/ 8
Southwestern College Chula Vista California http://www.swccd.edu/ 8
Spokane Community College Spokane Washington http://www.scc.spokane.edu 8
St Philip's College San Antonio Texas http://www.alamo.edu/spc/ 8
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jackson Jackson Tennessee http://www.tcatjackson.edu 8
Traviss Career Center Lakeland Florida http://www.traviss.edu 8
Trocaire College Buffalo New York http://www.trocaire.edu/ 8
Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove Illinois http://www.waubonsee.edu/ 8
West Virginia Northern Community College Wheeling West Virginia http://www.wvncc.edu/ 8
Wharton County Junior College Wharton Texas http://www.wcjc.edu 8
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Valdosta Georgia http://www.wiregrass.edu/ 8
Yakima Valley Community College Yakima Washington http://www.yvcc.edu/Pages/default.aspx 8
Blue Ridge Community College Flat Rock North Carolina http://www.blueridge.edu 7
Buckeye Hills Career Center Rio Grande Ohio http://www.buckeyehills.net/ 7
Catawba Valley Community College Hickory North Carolina http://www.cvcc.edu/index.php 7
Chesapeake College Wye Mills Maryland http://www.chesapeake.edu 7
Community College of Allegheny County Pittsburgh Pennsylvania https://www.ccac.edu 7
Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital Johnstown Pennsylvania http://www.conemaugh.org 7
Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny Iowa https://www.dmacc.edu/Pages/welcome.aspx 7
Holmes Community College Goodman Mississippi http://www.holmescc.edu 7
Howard College Big Spring Texas http://www.howardcollege.edu 7
Lakeland Community College Kirtland Ohio http://www.lakelandcc.edu 7
Lamar State College-Port Arthur Port Arthur Texas http://www.lamarpa.edu 7
Lincoln University Jefferson City Missouri http://www.lincolnu.edu/ 7
McDowell Technical Community College Marion North Carolina http://www.mcdowelltech.edu 7
National College-Dayton Kettering Ohio http://www.national-college.edu 7
Quinsigamond Community College Worcester Massachusetts http://www.qcc.edu 7
Somerset Community College Somerset Kentucky http://www.somerset.kctcs.edu/ 7
South College-Asheville Asheville North Carolina http://www.southcollegenc.edu 7
South Plains College Levelland Texas http://www.southplainscollege.edu/ 7
Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College Mount Gay West Virginia http://www.southernwv.edu 7
Waukesha County Technical College Pewaukee Wisconsin http://www.wctc.edu 7
West Virginia University at Parkersburg Parkersburg West Virginia http://www.wvup.edu 7
Autry Technology Center Enid Oklahoma http://www.autrytech.edu 6
Baker College of Cadillac Cadillac Michigan http://www.baker.edu 6
Delaware Technical Community College-Terry Dover Delaware https://www.dtcc.edu/our-campuses/dover 6
Dixie State University Saint George Utah http://www.dixie.edu/ 6
Edgecombe Community College Tarboro North Carolina http://www.edgecombe.edu 6
El Centro College Dallas Texas http://www.elcentrocollege.edu/ 6
Herzing University-Winter Park Winter Park Florida https://www.herzing.edu/ 6
Lincoln Land Community College Springfield Illinois https://www.ldsbc.edu/ 6
Miller-Motte Technical College-Clarksville Clarksville Tennessee http://www.miller-motte.edu 6
Moultrie Technical College Moultrie Georgia http://southernregional.edu/ 6
National College-Nashville Nashville Tennessee http://www.national-college.edu 6
Pinellas Technical Education Center-St Petersburg Saint Petersburg Florida http://myptec.org/ 6
Scioto County Career Technical Center Lucasville Ohio http://sciototech.org/home/?page_id=2247 6
Southeastern Technical College Vidalia Georgia http://www.southeasterntech.edu 6
University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Johnstown Pennsylvania http://www.upj.pitt.edu 6
Virginia College-Jackson Jackson Mississippi http://www.vc.edu 6
Anthem College-Orlando Orlando Florida http://www.anthem.edu 5
Canadian Valley Technology Center El Reno Oklahoma http://cvtech.edu/ 5
Cape Fear Community College Wilmington North Carolina http://cfcc.edu/ 5
EHOVE Career Center Milan Ohio http://www.ehove.net 5
Great Bay Community College Portsmouth New Hampshire http://greatbay.edu/ 5
Hazard Community and Technical College Hazard Kentucky http://www.hazard.kctcs.edu 5
Mohave Community College Kingman Arizona http://www.mohave.edu 5
National College-Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio http://www.national-college.edu 5
National College-Youngstown Youngstown Ohio https://www.an.edu/locations/youngstown-oh/ 5
South Central Louisiana Technical College-Young Memorial Campus Morgan City Louisiana http://www.scl.edu 5
South Piedmont Community College Polkton North Carolina http://www.spcc.edu 5
Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences Cape Girardeau Missouri http://www.sehcollege.edu/ 5
Southeastern College-Jacksonville Jacksonville Florida http://www.sec.edu/ 5
Southern University at Shreveport Shreveport Louisiana http://www.susla.edu 5
Wake Technical Community College Raleigh North Carolina http://www.waketech.edu/ 5
West Kentucky Community and Technical College Paducah Kentucky http://www.westkentucky.kctcs.edu 5
Wilson Community College Wilson North Carolina http://www.wilsoncc.edu 5
Bismarck State College Bismarck North Dakota http://www.bismarckstate.edu 4
Brown Mackie College-Birmingham Birmingham Alabama https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 4
Colorado Technical University-Kansas City North Kansas City Missouri http://www.coloradotech.edu/kansas-city 4
Everest College-Thornton Thornton Colorado http://www.everest.edu/campus/thornton 4
Medical Career Institute Ocean New Jersey http://www.mcinj.edu 4
North-West College-Riverside Riverside California http://www.north-westcollege.edu 4
Northern Oklahoma College Tonkawa Oklahoma http://www.noc.edu 4
Rend Lake College Ina Illinois https://www.rlc.edu 4
Augusta Technical College Augusta Georgia http://www.augustatech.edu 3
Baltimore City Community College Baltimore Maryland http://www.bccc.edu/site/default.aspx?PageID=1 3
Charles H McCann Technical School North Adams Massachusetts http://www.mccanntech.org 3
John A Logan College Carterville Illinois http://www.jalc.edu 3
Owensboro Community and Technical College Owensboro Kentucky http://www.owensboro.kctcs.edu 3
Robeson Community College Lumberton North Carolina http://www.robeson.edu 3
Sanford-Brown Institute-New York New York New York http://www.sanfordbrown.edu/new-york 3
Shawnee Community College Ullin Illinois http://www.shawneecc.edu 3
Southern Maine Community College South Portland Maine http://www.smccME.edu 3
Cleveland Community College Shelby North Carolina http://www.clevelandcc.edu 2
Flathead Valley Community College Kalispell Montana http://www.fvcc.edu 2
North Central Michigan College Petoskey Michigan http://www.ncmich.edu 2
Siena Heights University Adrian Michigan http://www.sienaheights.edu 2
Southeastern Illinois College Harrisburg Illinois http://www.sic.edu 2
Suwannee-Hamilton Technical Center Live Oak Florida http://www.suwannee.k12.fl.us/ 2
Virginia College-Savannah Savannah Georgia http://www.vc.edu/campus/savannah-georgia-college.cfm 2
American Institute of Medical Sciences & Education Piscataway New Jersey https://www.aimseducation.edu/ 1
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College Martinsburg West Virginia http://www.blueridgectc.edu/ 1
Brown Mackie College-Boise Boise Idaho https://www.brownmackie.edu/ 1
City College-Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Florida http://www.citycollege.edu 1
City College-Miami Miami Florida http://www.citycollege.edu 1
College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas Nevada http://www.csn.edu 1
Drury University Springfield Missouri http://www.drury.edu 1
Fortis Institute-Cookeville Cookeville Tennessee https://www.fortis.edu/ 1
Isothermal Community College Spindale North Carolina http://www.isothermal.edu 1
Kaskaskia College Centralia Illinois http://www.kaskaskia.edu/home/Default.aspx 1
Northeast Community College Norfolk Nebraska http://www.northeast.edu 1
Tulsa Community College Tulsa Oklahoma http://www.tulsacc.edu 1
Virginia College-Macon Macon Georgia http://www.vc.edu/campus/macon-georgia-college.cfm 1
2013 School Data from IPEDS (Sourced in January, 2015)

Hybrid & online programs

Because surgical technology is such a hands-on profession, there are very few online and hybrid options from which to choose. The extensive practicum requirements (typically between 300-1200 hours of hands-on practice) make it virtually impossible to complete a program entirely online. This has led to a very limited number of hybrid schools (both distance learning and online learning), and even fewer fully online surgical tech schools, including the following:

  • Baptist Health System School of Health Professionals (AAS) – At one time, the Baptist Health System School of Health Professionals was the only fully online surgical technology CAAHEP-accredited university program. The 100 percent online option is an accelerated program, and students must already be employed as a surgical technologist in order to qualify to complete the program. Fortunately, this college also offers a residential and online blended option, making it one of the most flexible colleges for surgical technology training.

  • Great Falls College – Montana State University (AS) – Located in Great Falls, Montana, Great Falls College – Montana State University offers a CAAHEP-accredited surgical technologist program in a hybrid format. Although classroom work can be completed online, students are required to rotate through clinical sites in Montana and therefore must be local to the area.
School City State Website Total grads (2013)
Meridian Institute of Surgical Assisting Nashville Tennessee http://www.meridian-institute.edu 261
Virginia College-Birmingham Birmingham Alabama http://www.vc.edu 41
Baptist Health System School of Health Professions San Antonio Texas http://www.bshp.edu 34
Community Care College Tulsa Oklahoma http://www.communitycarecollege.edu 29
Everest University-Brandon Tampa Florida http://www.everest.edu/campus/brandon 26
Sentara College of Health Sciences Chesapeake Virginia http://www.sentara.edu 22
Gulf Coast State College Panama City Florida http://www.gulfcoast.edu/default.htm 17
Southeast Community College Area Lincoln Nebraska https://www.southeast.edu/ 17
Virginia College-Columbia Columbia South Carolina http://www.vc.edu 16
Virginia College-Montgomery Montgomery Alabama http://www.vc.edu/ 13
Seward County Community College and Area Technical School Liberal Kansas http://www.sccc.edu 8
Everest College-Salt Lake City West Valley City Utah http://www.everest.edu/locations 7
Presentation College Aberdeen South Dakota http://www.presentation.edu 7
Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health Omaha Nebraska http://www.methodistcollege.edu 6
2013 School Data from IPEDS (Sourced in January, 2015)

Core & Elective Courses

To complete most surgical tech programs, students must get a grade of B or higher in both core classes and specialty surgical tech courses. Many of these courses are shared with other health care degrees – like medical ethics and anatomy and physiology. Still, there are a few courses that are specific to surgical tech schools, and which are integral to those programs.

  • Medical terminology – This is a vital course for many health care professionals, and is particularly important for surgical technologists. In this course, students will learn the root words, suffixes, and prefixes by which all other medical terms are created. In addition, they will learn the names of each part of the human body, in addition to the most common illnesses and physical impairments.
  • Surgical procedures – The purpose of this course is to teach students the theory and practices that should be used with various types of surgeries. Typical surgeries covered include gynecological, orthopedic, genitourinary, and many others. The course emphasizes procedures, technology, and tools that should be used in each independent surgery.
  • Pharmacology for surgical technology – In this course, students are introduced to different types of pharmaceuticals that may be used during the course of a surgical procedure. In addition, students learn specific drug interactions, systems and regulations for administration, and calculation of dosages. Drugs that might be used before and after a procedure are also introduced.
  • Clinical practicum or externship – This is a vital course for all surgical technologists. In this course, students complete rotations in a working hospital or medical facility where surgeries are regularly performed. Under the tutelage of a senior surgical technologist, they are able to use the knowledge they have learned in hands-on practice to assist during surgical procedures.

Accreditation

In order to practice as a surgical technologist, students need to complete a surgical technology program at a school accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). CAAHEP, in tandem with the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA), evaluates surgical technologist programs to ensure that the coursework and health education practices are in compliance with national standards. The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) is also qualified to accredit appropriate surgical tech schools.

During the ARC/STSA accreditation process, professional surgical technologists and healthcare educators look carefully at the program objectives and outcomes to determine whether a program is eligible for CAAHEP accreditation. Each clinical cohort is also evaluated to make sure that the technology and healthcare procedures used are at the current healthcare standard. Finally, the ARC/STSA does thorough investigations on all of the professors to ensure their professional abilities and background.

Additionally, colleges should be accredited by one of the regional or national accrediting bodies approved by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Typical regional accrediting bodies include the Accrediting Commission for Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS-WASC), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools – Commission on Colleges (SACS/COC), and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).

Career Outlook

The aging baby boomer generation will lead to an increase in need for many health care operations and surgical technologists are no exception. General health care jobs are expected to increase by 14 percent by the year 2026 with surgical technology positions expected to increase by a similar 12 percent. The expected growth rate for surgical technology jobs is nearly double the national average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The BLS (2017) reports that this increased need for surgical technologists is driven by two main factors. Firstly, as the baby boomer generation ages, they will require more surgeries to maintain their standard of living. Secondly, access to better healthcare will make day-to-day surgeries (like sports-related surgeries) more feasible for the general population.

Another reason surgical technologists will likely remain in such high demand is that they are a cost-effective investment for hospitals. Surgical technologists are much less expensive to hire than registered nurses, but often can assist in the same types of procedures.

According to the BLS (2017), a majority of surgical technologists work in hospitals and surgical centers. Still, the most highly-paid workers in this field work for medical and diagnostic laboratories. The state with the most surgical technologists is California, and the average wage in this state is over $61,000 – more than $10,000 over than the national average of $48,060. Other top-paying states include Hawaii, Nevada, Washington, DC, and Alaska.

Career Facts Surgical Technologist
Related CareersRadiation Therapist, Endoscopy Technician, Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Common Job TitlesSurgical Technologist, Certified Surgical Technologist
Technology & EquipmentElectrocautery Equipment, Surgical Saws And Drills, Surgical Vacuums, Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirators
Sourced from BLS, June 2018

Licensing & Certification

Surgical technologists who desire to be board certified must complete CAAHEP accredited program, with review by the ARC/STSA . A list of accredited surgical tech schools is available on the CAAHEP website.

In addition to completing a program at one of the accredited surgical tech schools, certified students must also complete a certification exam. This exam is provided through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA).

Finally, students seeking board certification must have completed the appropriate coursework and clinical hours. Depending on the degree program, a student may complete between 300 and 1200 clinical hours to complete the university’s requirements. These clinical hours are necessary to be licensed as a surgical technologist.

Although it is not legally required for surgical technologists to be board certified at this time, it may be a better career decision. Completing a surgical tech degree from a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited school is the only way to earn this designation and sit for the national test. This makes students who earn this designation much more employable and more likely to find positions in the highest-earning bracket for this field of study.

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