| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year technical and community college in the Minnesota State system; one campus, with 27 program areas online |
| Campus | 1 campus: 1601 Jefferson Street, Alexandria, MN |
| Credentials | Associate degrees (AAS, AS, AA), diplomas and certificates |
| Programs | 53 program areas |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission (associate level, since 1980; most recent review 2024), plus NLN CNEA, NAACLS, AED Foundation and ICA for individual programs; Police Training is Minnesota POST certified |
| Federal aid | Yes |
| 2026-27 cost | $230.06 per credit with fees on campus, $249.37 online, $265.65 for nursing courses; same for residents and non-residents |
| Students | About 5,100 in fiscal year 2026, a record (preliminary) |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Alexandria Tech: one campus, a large online catalog
Alexandria Technical & Community College, usually called Alexandria Tech or ATCC, is a public two-year college in Minnesota State, the state’s system of colleges and universities. The system’s trustees set tuition each year, and Minnesota residents and students from other states pay the same rate.
All hands-on programs, from practical nursing and police training to welding, diesel mechanics and truck driving, are taught at the one campus on Jefferson Street in Alexandria. Many business, IT and healthcare office programs run online. The college reported a record of about 5,100 students for fiscal year 2026 (a preliminary figure) and says fall enrollment grew 27.6% from 2020 to 2024. A groundbreaking for a $24 million transportation center for diesel and truck driving was announced for 25 September 2025.
Programs at Alexandria Tech
The college lists 53 program areas, 27 of them online, leading to associate degrees, diplomas and certificates. The table shows the main career programs and the 2026-27 per-credit rate that applies; the pages checked give no whole-program totals.
| Program | Credential | Length / starts | Delivery | Prepares for | 2026-27 rate per credit with fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing (LPN) | Diploma, 40 credits | 2 or 3 semesters; fall and spring starts | On campus | NCLEX-PN | $265.65 (nursing courses) |
| Associate Degree of Nursing (LPN-to-RN) | AS, 64 credits | Nursing phase 2 semesters; fall start | Alexandria Tech | NCLEX-RN | $265.65 (nursing courses) |
| Nursing Assistant | Course, 3 credits (84 hours) | Several starts each semester | On campus | Minnesota Nursing Assistant Test | – |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | AAS | 2 years | On campus | ASCP Board of Certification | $230.06 |
| Ophthalmic Medical Technician | AAS, 60 credits | 4 semesters | Online and hybrid, clinicals near home | – | $249.37 online |
| Medical Coding Specialist | Diploma, 48 credits; certificate, 25 | 5 or 2 semesters | Online | – | $249.37 |
| Welding Technology | Diploma, 44 credits; certificate, 17 | 10 months | On campus | AWS Structural Code qualification | $230.06 |
| Professional Truck Driver | Certificate, 20 credits; B-CDL certificate, 17 | 16 weeks; January and August starts | On campus | CDL | $230.06 |
| Diesel Mechanics | AAS, 75 credits; diploma, 66 | – | On campus | – | $230.06 |
| Marine, Motorcycle, & Powersports Technician | Diploma, 72 credits | 5 terms (2 years) with a summer internship | On campus | – | $230.06 |
| Machine Tool Technology | Diploma, 72 credits | 4 semesters | On campus | – | $230.06 |
| Mechatronics | AAS, 72 credits; diploma, 66 | 4 semesters | On campus | – | $230.06 |
| Carpentry | Diploma, 72 credits; certificate, 17 | – | On campus | – | $230.06 |
| Police Training & Education | AAS, 72 credits | 4 semesters | On campus (Law Enforcement Center) | Minnesota POST Board exam | $230.06 |
| Cybersecurity, Virtualization, & Networking | AAS, 60 credits; Cybersecurity certificate, 30 | – | Online | – | $249.37 |
Programmatic accreditation, as the college lists it: NLN CNEA for Practical Nursing and the Associate Degree of Nursing, NAACLS for Medical Laboratory Technician (next review 2035), the AED Foundation for Diesel Mechanics (next review spring 2028) and the International Council of Accreditation for Ophthalmic Medical Technician (next review 2031). The Police Training & Education AAS is certified by the Minnesota POST Board.
Ophthalmic Medical Technician trains technicians who test and measure patients’ eyes under an ophthalmologist; it is not an optician (eyeglass-dispensing) program. Psychology and Health Science are transfer degrees only, and the Computer Information Systems AS is a transfer-style degree.
What the main programs cover
Practical Nursing (LPN)
The 40-credit diploma can be taken over two semesters (21 and 19 credits) or as a three-semester option, with starts in fall and spring. Ten credits are clinical, split between a 3-credit and a 7-credit clinical course. Before admission, students need a Minnesota nursing assistant credential, a TEAS score of at least 50, BLS and first-aid certification and a Minnesota DHS background study. The program is accredited by NLN CNEA, and graduates sit the NCLEX-PN for a Minnesota LPN license; those who want to go on to RN can apply to the college’s Associate Degree of Nursing.
Associate Degree of Nursing (LPN-to-RN)
This 64-credit degree is the college’s only RN route, and it is for practical nurses who already hold a Minnesota LPN license; there is no entry-level RN track. Phase I is 38 credits of general education. Phase II is two 13-credit nursing semesters that begin each fall, and entry needs a practical nursing GPA of at least 2.75, BLS certification and a DHS background study. Graduates sit the NCLEX-RN. The college reports that 70.59% to 81.57% of Phase II students in the 2023 to 2025 starting groups finished within the normal program length, with some exclusions.
Welding Technology
The 44-credit diploma runs for ten months: 18 credits in fall, 18 in spring and 8 in summer, when students take qualification testing and an internship. Coursework covers 12 welding and cutting processes, including gas metal arc (GMAW), shielded metal arc (SMAW), gas tungsten arc (GTAW), flux-cored (FCAW) and pulse welding, plus plasma and fuel-gas cutting. Three Certified Welding Inspectors on staff run in-house qualification tests to AWS QC-3 standards, designed to qualify students for the AWS Structural Code. A 17-credit Basic Welding Certificate is a shorter option.
Professional Truck Driver
The 20-credit certificate takes 16 weeks and starts in January and August. Students train on forklifts, straight trucks and tractor-trailers, including doubles, and log 2,000 to 2,500 miles. A separate 17-credit B-CDL certificate is a shorter option. The program page mentions possible paid internships and employer tuition reimbursement. The program will share the new transportation center with Diesel Mechanics, a separate program that trains mechanics rather than drivers. The curriculum page does not say which licence class the 20-credit certificate leads to, so ask before you enroll.
Police Training & Education
The 72-credit AAS runs four semesters and is certified by the Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training Board; it prepares students to pass the POST Board examination. Training is based in the 700 Building, the campus’s Law Enforcement Center. Students who already hold a degree can take the Career Transition Diploma online instead, and a Skills Certificate and a 12-credit Spanish for Public Safety certificate are also offered. The Peace Officer/Public Safety AS is a separate transfer pathway.
Marine, Motorcycle, & Powersports Technician
The 72-credit diploma takes two years over five terms, including a summer internship at a dealership after the first year. It is taught on the Alexandria campus. The college lists support from manufacturers including Polaris, Yamaha, Arctic Cat, BRP, Harley-Davidson, Volvo Penta, Kohler, Kubota, Stihl, Toro and Briggs & Stratton; that is manufacturer support for the program, not a manufacturer certification for students.
Tuition and how students pay
The 2026-27 rates are set per credit by the Minnesota State Board of Trustees. Alexandria Tech has no separate rate for non-residents, and online courses cost the same no matter where the student lives; the college notes that individual courses may differ.
| 2026-27, per credit | Tuition | Fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus courses | $203.65 | $26.40 | $230.06 (as printed by the college) |
| Online courses | $234.04 | $15.33 | $249.37 |
| Nursing courses | $239.25 | $26.40 | $265.65 |
The college does not break down the mandatory fees. For Practical Nursing it estimates first-year books at $958, course fees at $2,829 and $1,240 for tools, uniforms and laptop leases, on top of tuition. Niche puts the average net price at $13,560 a year (checked October 2026). Alexandria Tech takes federal student aid, and the Minnesota State net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
Open admission, with entry steps for nursing
The college admits applicants openly, but the nursing programs have their own requirements. Practical Nursing needs a Minnesota nursing assistant credential, a TEAS score of at least 50, BLS and first aid and a DHS background study; the Associate Degree of Nursing needs a current Minnesota LPN license and a practical nursing GPA of at least 2.75. Nursing Assistant students must attend every session.
Start dates vary: Practical Nursing starts in fall and spring, the nursing phase of the associate degree each fall, Professional Truck Driver in January and August, and Nursing Assistant several times each semester. Welding runs fall, spring and summer.
Accreditation and results
Alexandria Tech has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission at the associate degree level since 1980, and its most recent HLC review was in 2024.
| Measure | Alexandria Tech | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| First-time NCLEX-PN pass rate (Practical Nursing) | 89.83%, 93.55%, 90.70%, 89.58%; above the Minnesota and US rates each year | 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025; Minnesota Board of Nursing |
| First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate (Associate Degree of Nursing) | 91.67%, 96.30%, 95.83%, 90.63%; above the Minnesota and US rates each year | 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025; Minnesota Board of Nursing |
| ASCP Board of Certification pass rate (Medical Laboratory Technician) | 100% | 2021-2025 graduates who tested within a year; program page |
| Related job placement, all programs | 99.4% of graduates who answered the survey and were available for work | 2024 graduates; college data |
| Completion within 150% of program length | 55.5% overall (associate 48.9%, certificate 78.3%, diploma 66.0%) | Students entering fall 2020; college data |
The placement figure counts only graduates who returned the college’s survey and were available for related work, so it is not a rate for all graduates. Completion is lower for associate degrees (48.9%) than for diplomas and certificates.
Before you enroll
- There is no entry-level RN program. To become an RN here you first need a Minnesota LPN license, usually through the Practical Nursing diploma, and then apply to the Associate Degree of Nursing.
- Nursing courses cost $265.65 per credit with fees in 2026-27, more than the $230.06 on-campus rate, and the college’s first-year estimates for Practical Nursing books ($958), course fees ($2,829) and supplies ($1,240) add up to about $5,000 on top of tuition.
- Ophthalmic Medical Technician is not an optician program. It trains technicians who work under an ophthalmologist, and its clinical rotations take place near the student’s home.
- The 99.4% placement rate covers only survey respondents who were available for work. About 55% of students who started in fall 2020 finished within 150% of the normal time.
- Psychology and Health Science are transfer pathways, not career programs, and lead to no job credential on their own.
One campus in Alexandria
Every on-campus program is taught at 1601 Jefferson Street, Alexandria, MN 56308, in the main building and the 700 Building (Law Enforcement Center). The EDGE Center of Innovation, formerly the Customized Training Center, runs workforce and employer training from the same address. Online programs have no separate site.
Internships and clinicals
Work experience is built into several programs: the Welding summer qualification and internship term, the Marine, Motorcycle, & Powersports dealership internship, the Interior Design internship, 10 clinical credits in Practical Nursing, long-term-care clinicals in Nursing Assistant and Ophthalmic Medical Technician rotations near the student’s home.
What students say
On Niche, Alexandria Technical & Community College is rated 4.18 out of 5 from 173 reviews, with an overall grade of B+ (checked 10 October 2026). Reviewers praise career-focused programs, approachable and helpful instructors and small classes, and some mention an easy-to-use online learning platform and a supportive community. Complaints include too few fully online programs, a wish for more hands-on learning and local business connections, and dated study spaces. The reviews cover the whole college; only Niche was checked, and we could not tell whether they were invited by the school or posted in bursts.
Sources
Checked October 2026: Alexandria Tech programs · Tuition and fees 2026-27 · Accreditation · Minnesota Board of Nursing NCLEX-PN results 2022-2025 · NCLEX-RN results 2022-2025 · Graduate job placement · Completion rate · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Practical Nursing (LPN diploma)
- Associate Degree of Nursing (LPN-to-RN)
- Nursing Assistant
Health Sciences
- Medical Laboratory Technician
- Phlebotomy Technician
- Ophthalmic Medical Technician (online and hybrid)
- Exercise Science
- Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (online)
Healthcare Administration (online)
- Healthcare Administrative Specialist
- Medical Coding Specialist
- Patient Access Specialist
Police Training
- Police Training & Education (AAS)
- Police Career Transition (diploma, online)
- Police Skills Certificate
- Spanish for Public Safety (certificate)
Transportation and Mechanics
- Professional Truck Driver
- B-CDL (certificate)
- Diesel Mechanics
- Marine, Motorcycle, & Powersports Technician
Manufacturing and Engineering
- Welding Technology
- Machine Tool Technology
- Mechatronics
- Robotics (certificate)
- Mechanical Drafting, Design, & Engineering Technology
- Engineering Technology (online)
Construction and Design
- Carpentry
- Construction (certificate)
- Interior Design
- Communication Design
- Fashion Management
Business
- Accounting
- Business Management
- Marketing & Sales Management
- Retail Management (online)
- Farm Business Management
Computers and IT (online)
- Cybersecurity
- Cybersecurity, Virtualization, & Networking
- Computer Information Systems (AS)
- Data Analytics & AI (certificate)
Education and Human Services
- Early Childhood Education
- Behavioral Health & Human Services (online)
Transfer Pathways (mostly online)
- Accounting, Business, Early Childhood Education and Exercise Science Transfer Pathways (AS)
- Peace Officer/Public Safety Transfer Pathway (AS)
- Health Science Broad Field (AS)
- Psychology Transfer Pathway (AA)
Campus Locations
Alexandria, MN 1601 Jefferson Street, Alexandria, MN 56308