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How long is surgical tech school?
Most surgical tech certificate programs take 12 months to 18 months; the middle of 28 programs reporting a length to IPEDS is 13 months. In clock hours, the middle program runs 1,200 hours (half run 1,119 to 1,330). On state WIOA training lists the middle surgical tech program lasts 60 weeks.
Middle length
13 months
IPEDS, 28 programs
Middle clock hours
1,200
15 clock-hour programs
How long surgical tech programs run
| Length | Programs |
|---|---|
| Under 3 months | 0 |
| 3 to 6 months | 0 |
| 7 to 12 months | 13 |
| Over 12 months | 15 |
Program length by state
| State | Programs reporting | Middle | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 7 | 19 months | 12 months to 20 months |
| Florida | 3 | 12 months | 11 months to 13 months |
| West Virginia | 3 | 11 months | 9 months to 12 months |
Source: IPEDS COST1 2024-25, the length and whole-program tuition that clock-hour schools report for their largest programs. States with at least 3 reporting programs. Community colleges charge by the year and are not in these figures.