Both programs leave you needing 400 hours of hands-on sterile processing experience to sit the CRCST exam. MedCerts states plainly that it “does not guarantee or provide clinical sites.” Preppy costs less than half and matches you into its employer network.
The winner
Preppy wins four of the six categories we scored.
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Reveal the code and open Preppy — it applies at checkout on either payment option.
CRCST exam fee is not included in Preppy tuition — budget for it separately.
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The Verdict on Sterile Processing Technician Training
Six categories decide which sterile processing technician program is the better buy. Preppy takes four, MedCerts takes one, and the four Preppy wins are the ones that determine whether your certificate turns into a job.
Final score across the six sterile processing technician program categories above.
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Your sterile processing technician certificate comes from a university
Preppy’s Sterile Processing Technician program is delivered with Champlain College Online, an accredited nonprofit. Your Certificate of Completion carries the institution’s name — a credential you frame, and one that lets you tell a hiring manager you trained through a university.
MedCerts issues its own certificate for its sterile processing technician program. It is a well-known training company, but that credential is only ever worth what its name means to the person reading your résumé.
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The clinical hours sterile processing technicians actually need
The CRCST credential requires 400 hours of hands-on sterile processing experience. MedCerts does not provide the site — its own materials put sourcing it on the student. You can finish every lesson of a $4,000 program and still be unable to sit the exam.
Preppy runs an Externship Match Program and connects you with opportunities inside its own healthcare employer network. You choose between externship placement and direct job placement assistance, not both.
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Self-paced sterile processing technician training, no weekly hour expectation
You cover decontamination workflow, instrument inspection, autoclave cycles, sterilisation monitoring and inventory control on your own clock. Preppy’s program is 100% self-paced across 3–6 months with a full year of access; MedCerts’ 14 weeks assumes 15 to 20 hours every week — a commitment to plan your life around.
Most people training for sterile processing technician work already have a job. If you can give it twenty hours one week and four the next, self-paced is the difference between finishing and quitting.
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MedCerts covers your CRCST exam fee. Preppy doesn't.
Every MedCerts exam is paid for inside tuition. With Preppy you register and pay the HSPA directly. The HSPA lists that application at $140. Even with it added, Preppy comes in about $1,961 lower.
Preppy wins the sterile processing technician package, not just the price
It would be easy to read this as a price comparison. It isn’t. Preppy is cheaper — $1,899 against $4,000 — but the reason it wins the sterile processing technician comparison is what that buys alongside the coursework: a certificate issued by an accredited nonprofit university, a match into its clinical employer network, a schedule that bends around a working week, and a refund window if you change your mind.
Sterile processing is the one credential where hands-on hours are mandatory in eight states regardless of who trains you. Pay less for the coursework and put the savings toward getting those hours.
Where MedCerts earns its price: it pays for your CRCST exam, and its Career Center stays open to you for a year after you finish.
What each Sterile Processing Technician program actually costs
Published tuition, with exam fees accounted for, so both columns mean the same thing.
Photo: student studying online
The comparison
MedCerts charges one flat $4,000 with every exam fee inside it. Preppy charges $1,899 and bills the CRCST separately.
Neither qualifies for federal financial aid. Both offer interest-free monthly plans — Preppy at $349 × 6.
The OnlineDegree.com reader discount is applied by Preppy at checkout and is not counted here, so the real gap on a sterile processing technician program is wider than the figure on the right.
Total to certified
- MedCerts tuition (exams included)
- $4,000
- Preppy tuition, paid in full
- $1,899
- CRCST exam fee, paid to the HSPA
- + $140
- Preppy total
- $2,039
- You could save choosing Preppy
- $1,961
Published tuition as of October 2026. The HSPA lists the CRCST exam application at $140; MedCerts includes exam fees in tuition and Preppy does not. Excludes scrubs and any background check a clinical site requires.
Key facts about becoming a Sterile Processing Technician
Photo: sterile processing technician at work
After adding the CRCST exam fee to Preppy’s side to match MedCerts’ all-in price.
Fully self-paced. MedCerts estimates 14 weeks at 15–20 hrs/week.
Students find their own site. Preppy matches you into its employer network.
Provided total time in the course stays under 10 hours.
- Preppy’s certificate is issued by Champlain College Online, an accredited nonprofit institution. MedCerts issues its own credential.
- Neither program requires prior healthcare experience. A high school diploma or GED is the only admission requirement at both.
- The CRCST credential requires 400 hours of hands-on sterile processing experience. MedCerts does not provide or guarantee a clinical site; Preppy matches students into its healthcare employer network.
- Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee require 400 hours of hands-on experience before you can sit the CRCST exam.
- The HSPA lists the CRCST exam application at $140. MedCerts includes it in tuition; Preppy does not.
Facts verified October 6, 2026 against the sources at the bottom of this page.
Side-by-side Sterile Processing Technician comparison
| Category | Preppy | MedCerts |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $1,899 or $349 × 6 | $4,000 |
| Length | 3–6 months, fully self-paced | 14 weeks at 15–20 hrs/week |
| Certificate issued by | Champlain College Online accredited nonprofit institution | MedCerts — no university partner |
| Exam prepared for | CRCST (HSPA) | CRCST (HSPA) |
| Exam fee | Not included $140 to the HSPA | Included |
| Clinical hours required | 400 hours of hands-on sterile processing experience for the CRCST | 400 hours of hands-on sterile processing experience — you source the site |
| Externship placement | Included Externship Match Program; choose externship or job placement | Not included |
| Job support | More complete Employer job board, résumé support, interview prep, advisors — plus externship placement | Career Center and coaches for 1 year — but no externship placement |
| Refund policy | 30 days if under 10 hrs in course | See enrollment agreement |
| Admission requirements | HS diploma or GED | HS diploma or GED |
| State availability | Nationwide | Nationwide |
Verified October 6, 2026 against each provider’s own program and FAQ pages, linked below. Terms change; confirm before you enroll.
How to enroll with Preppy
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1Reveal your code and open Preppy
The code applies at checkout on either payment option. No application, no prerequisites, no sales call.
—— $150 off coupon code copied · Preppy opened in a new tab -
2Work the sterile processing technician coursework at your pace
Self-paced across 3–6 months, with a full year of access if you need it.
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3Register for the CRCST and sit it
You book directly with the HSPA, not through your program. Take the practice exams until you’re consistently passing, then schedule. $140, paid separately.
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4Do your externship, then apply
Clear your balance and finish the program, and Preppy’s Externship Match Program connects you with sites in its employer network. Sites hire their own externs often enough to ask directly.
Preppy vs MedCerts: Sterile Processing Technician questions
Is Preppy or MedCerts better for sterile processing technician training?
Preppy, for most people training as a sterile processing technician. It costs $1,899 against MedCerts’ $4,000, issues a Certificate of Completion from Champlain College Online rather than a company-issued credential, and includes externship placement support. MedCerts covers your CRCST exam fee, which Preppy does not, so that is the trade-off.
Is Preppy cheaper than MedCerts for sterile processing technician training?
Yes. Preppy’s Sterile Processing Technician program is $1,899 paid in full, or $349 × 6. MedCerts is $4,000. That is $2,101 less on published tuition. MedCerts includes the exam fee and Preppy does not, so add that to Preppy’s side. The HSPA lists the CRCST exam application at $140.
Does the MedCerts sterile processing technician program include an externship?
No. MedCerts requires 400 hours of hands-on sterile processing experience and does not provide the site. That matters because the CRCST credential requires it — you can finish the coursework and still be unable to sit the exam. Preppy runs an Externship Match Program that connects students with opportunities inside its healthcare employer network, and every student chooses between externship placement and job placement assistance at no extra cost.
Do Preppy and MedCerts prepare you for the same sterile processing technician certification?
Both prepare you for the CRCST from the HSPA.
Is the CRCST exam fee included in Preppy or MedCerts sterile processing technician tuition?
MedCerts includes all exam fees inside its $4,000 tuition. Preppy does not — you register and pay the certifying body directly. The HSPA lists the CRCST exam application at $140.
How long does each sterile processing technician program take, Preppy or MedCerts?
MedCerts estimates 14 weeks for its sterile processing technician program at 15 to 20 hours a week. Preppy’s program runs 3–6 months and is fully self-paced with no weekly hour expectation, so motivated students finish faster and people juggling a job can take longer without penalty.
Which sterile processing technician program is faster, Preppy or MedCerts?
Preppy, in practice. MedCerts’ 14-week estimate assumes 15 to 20 hours of coursework every week. Preppy is self-paced across 3–6 months with a full year of access, so you set the pace in both directions.
Is the MedCerts sterile processing technician program accredited?
MedCerts is not a university and does not issue a university credential; it is a training provider whose programs prepare students for third-party certification exams. Preppy’s Sterile Processing Technician program is delivered in partnership with Champlain College Online, which issues the Certificate of Completion.
Does Preppy include job placement for sterile processing technician graduates?
Preppy includes career support in tuition: a career platform where healthcare employers post sterile processing technician roles, résumé feedback, interview preparation and course advisors. Students also choose between externship placement support and direct job placement assistance. Employment is not guaranteed by either provider.
Is Preppy's sterile processing technician program legit?
Preppy is a StraighterLine company that partners with accredited nonprofit universities to deliver its certification training. The Sterile Processing Technician program is offered with Champlain College Online and prepares students for the CRCST exam. It carries a 30-day money-back guarantee for students with under 10 hours in the course.
Can you get financial aid for the Preppy or MedCerts sterile processing technician program?
Neither sterile processing technician program qualifies for federal student aid, since that generally requires an accredited degree or certificate program. What often does apply to both: WIOA workforce grants, MyCAA for military spouses, and employer tuition reimbursement. Both offer interest-free monthly plans, which beats a private loan for a program this size.
What certification do you need to work as a sterile processing technician?
No state licences sterile processing technicians in the way nurses are licensed, but employers expect a national certification. The Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) from the HSPA is the credential these programs target.
Are there cheaper alternatives to MedCerts for sterile processing technician training?
Yes. For sterile processing technician training, Preppy at $1,899 is the lowest-priced option we have found that pairs a certificate issued by an accredited nonprofit university with externship and career support. Cheaper sterile processing technician programs exist, but they issue their own certificate and leave clinical hours to you.
Sources and verification
Checked October 6, 2026. We re-verify monthly.