| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year technical college in the Minnesota State system; one campus, with many programs fully online |
| Campus | 1, in Anoka, in the northern Minneapolis suburbs |
| Credentials | Associate of applied science (AAS) degrees, diplomas and certificates |
| Programs | More than 65 degrees, diplomas and certificates in about 50 program areas |
| Program size | From a 5-credit certificate to the 82-credit, five-semester Construction Electrician program |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission since 1999; reaffirmed in 2024 |
| Federal aid | Yes (OPE ID 00735000) |
| 2026-27 cost | $230.07 per credit with fees, $241.48 online; no out-of-state rate; program rates up to $355.69 |
| Students | 1,970 in fall 2024 |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Anoka Tech: a public technical college on one Anoka campus
Anoka Technical College, often called Anoka Tech, is a public two-year college in Minnesota State, the state’s system of colleges and universities. It opened in September 1967 as the Anoka Technical Education Center, with 94 students in five programs, among them practical nursing and auto mechanics, and has used its current name since 2003. Since July 2011 it has shared a president with Anoka-Ramsey Community College, but the two remain separate colleges with separate accreditation.
All in-person programs are taught on one campus on West Highway 10 in Anoka, while many business, IT and health-office programs run fully online. Fall 2024 enrollment was 1,970, of whom 42% studied full-time, and the college reported a 9% rise in credit headcount in fall 2025.
Programs at Anoka Tech
The college offers more than 65 AAS degrees, diplomas and certificates in about 50 program areas. Its largest programs in fall 2024 were the Health Technology certificate, Nursing Assistant/Home Health Aide, Sterile Processing, Construction Electrician and Medical Coding Specialist. The table shows the main career programs with the college’s own 2026-27 estimate of tuition and fees where it publishes one.
| Program | Credential | Length / starts | Delivery | Prepares for | College’s 2026-27 estimate (tuition and fees) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing (LPN) | Diploma, 40 credits | Within a year; fall and spring starts | In person | NCLEX-PN | $10,252 |
| Surgical Technology | AAS, 60 credits | After the 28-credit Sterile Processing certificate | In person; hospital clinicals | CST | – |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | AAS, 71 credits | 4 semesters; fall start only | Partial hybrid | NBCOT (COTA) | – |
| Paramedic | Diploma, 45 credits; AAS, 60 | Diploma in as little as 15 months | In person, daytime | NREMT | – |
| EMT | Certificate, 9 credits | – | Hybrid | – | $2,071 |
| Medical Assistant | Diploma, 33 credits; AAS, 60 | Fall and spring starts; 280-hour externship | In person | AAMA CMA | – |
| Nursing Assistant/Home Health Aide | Certificate, 5 credits | Fall, spring and summer starts | In person | Competency evaluation | $1,150 |
| Health Information Management | AAS, 64 credits | Part-time option | Fully online | RHIT | – |
| Medical Coding Specialist | Diploma, 41 credits | – | Fully online | CCA or CPC-A | – |
| Welding | AAS, 66 credits; diploma, 34; certificate, 17 | – | In person | AWS certification, per the college | $16,916 (AAS) |
| Construction Electrician | 82 credits | 5 semesters | In person | Approved by the Minnesota State Board of Electricity | – |
| Automotive Technician | AAS, 72 credits; diploma | – | In person | – | $16,565 (AAS) |
| CNC Design & Manufacturing Technology | AAS, 69 credits; diploma | Day, evening and part-time | In person | – | $15,875 (AAS) |
| Judicial Reporting | AAS, 64 credits | 40-hour internship | In person or online | RPR | $22,764 |
| Information Technology (5 concentrations) | AAS (60 credits in Network Management & Security and Software Development); diplomas; IT Support certificate, 15 | – | Fully online | – | $14,489 (Network Management & Security AAS) |
Programmatic accreditation: ACEN for Practical Nursing; CAAHEP for Surgical Technology, Paramedic (initial accreditation July 2024) and the Medical Assistant diploma; ACOTE for Occupational Therapy Assistant; CAHIIM for Health Information Management; the ASE Education Foundation for Automotive Technician; and NCRA approval for Judicial Reporting. The Minnesota State Board of Electricity approves the Construction Electrician program.
The college has no RN or LPN-to-RN program and no truck-driving training. Construction Estimating is an online office program in estimating and plan reading, not training in a building trade.
What the main programs cover
Practical Nursing (LPN)
The 40-credit diploma is completed within a year and starts in fall and spring. Applications open on 1 March and 1 September, with seats filled on a rolling basis. Before applying, students need a nursing assistant or medical assistant credential, the program’s prerequisite courses, BLS certification, the HSRT entrance test and an immunization form. Clinicals are part of the program. Graduates sit the NCLEX-PN for a Minnesota LPN license; the college points students who want to become RNs to community-college ADN programs.
Surgical Technology
The 60-credit AAS has an unusual entry route: students first complete the college’s 28-credit Sterile Processing certificate, then need Accuplacer placement, a TEAS score of at least 60% and BLS certification. Starts are in fall and spring. Clinical rotations take place in Twin Cities hospitals, and students must arrange their own transport to them. The program is accredited by CAAHEP on the recommendation of ARC-STSA and prepares graduates for the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
The 71-credit AAS combines 56 OTA credits with 15 general-education credits over four semesters. Since fall 2024 it has run as a partial hybrid. A new cohort starts only in fall; applications for fall 2027 open on 1 December 2026, and an information session is mandatory. Level I fieldwork falls in the second and third semesters and two Level II placements in the fourth, which may mean travelling up to 275 miles. Graduates are eligible for the NBCOT exam and Minnesota licensure.
Paramedic
Paramedic is offered as a 45-credit diploma, taught in the daytime and completed in as little as 15 months according to the college, or as a 60-credit AAS. Both start in fall and spring. The program received initial accreditation from CAAHEP, through CoAEMSP, in July 2024, with the next review due in 2029. Graduates take the NREMT or state written exam. The separate 9-credit EMT certificate, approved by the Minnesota EMS Regulatory Board, is taught in a hybrid format.
Medical Assistant
The 33-credit diploma is the accredited route, recognized by CAAHEP on the recommendation of MAERB; a 60-credit AAS is also offered. Both are taught in person and start in fall and spring. The program includes a 280-hour externship, and graduates can sit the AAMA’s Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) exam. The college reports a five-year average job placement rate of 91.40% for 2020 to 2024.
Welding
Welding is taught in person in Anoka at three levels: a 17-credit Basic Welding certificate, a 34-credit diploma and a 66-credit AAS. Specialty awards include a 17-credit Pipe Welder advanced certificate, Robotic & Laser Welding as an 18-credit certificate or 67-credit AAS, and a Welding Fabricator certificate. The college says the programs prepare students for American Welding Society certification and mentions ASME standards, but its program pages do not list the welding processes or how long each award takes, so ask before you enroll.
Tuition and how students pay
Anoka Tech has no resident or out-of-state differential. For 2026-27 the standard rate is $210.66 tuition plus $19.41 in fees, or $230.07 per credit, up from $217.17 in 2025-26, according to the college’s tuition and fees page. Online courses and several programs cost more.
| 2026-27, per credit | Tuition | With fees |
|---|---|---|
| Standard rate, on campus | $210.66 | $230.07 |
| Online courses | $227.32 | $241.48 |
| Practical Nursing and Welding | $236.90 | $256.31 |
| Paramedic | $246.34 | $265.75 |
| Surgical Technology | $263.16 | $282.57 |
| Automotive Electronic Diagnostic | $295.66 | $315.07 |
| Judicial Reporting | $336.28 | $355.69 |
| Senior citizens | $20.00 | $35.86 |
Program rates carry the same $19.41 in fees as the standard rate. The college publishes a reduced rate for senior citizens but does not state the age or residency rules on its tuition page, so ask the college whether you qualify. College Navigator gives 2024-25 tuition and fees of $6,267 for a year, and the college’s net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
Anoka Tech takes federal student aid (OPE ID 00735000). The college says 57% of undergraduates received grant aid in 2022-23 and 37% received Pell Grants. It also points eligible Minnesota families earning up to $80,000 to the North Star Promise, which covers tuition and fees left after other aid. Nursing assistant students may have training and testing costs reimbursed by a Minnesota nursing home after 90 days of work there.
Open admission, with separate entry for health programs
The college admits applicants openly. Practical Nursing, Surgical Technology and Occupational Therapy Assistant have their own entry steps, set out above: credentials or certificates completed first, entrance tests (HSRT, TEAS, Accuplacer) and, for OTA, a mandatory information session.
Most programs start in fall (August) and spring (January). Nursing Assistant also starts in summer, and OTA starts only in fall. Construction Electrician students who start in spring take longer to finish. CNC Design & Manufacturing offers day, evening and part-time schedules, and Judicial Reporting can be taken in person, live online or at the student’s own pace.
Accreditation and results
Anoka Tech has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1999. HLC’s 2023-24 review reaffirmed its accreditation with monitoring in a letter dated 26 August 2024; the required interim report on program review and planning was accepted on 17 August 2026, and the college is under no sanctions, according to HLC’s accreditation record. HLC’s next comprehensive evaluation is scheduled for 2028.
First-time NCLEX-PN pass rates come from the Minnesota Board of Nursing. The 2024 rate of 95.00% was well above state and national averages, but the 2025 rate of 84.31% fell below both.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 84.31% of 51 candidates (Minnesota 86.12%, US 86.60%) | 2025, Minnesota Board of Nursing |
| Practical Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 95.00% of 60 candidates (Minnesota 87.55%, US 88.38%) | 2024, Minnesota Board of Nursing |
| Practical Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 94.12% (2023); 84.44% (2022) | Minnesota Board of Nursing |
| Practical Nursing, LPN job placement within 6 months | 76.9% (program target 90%) | 2023-24 graduates, college disclosure |
| Surgical Technology, CST exam | 100% | 2023 and 2024, college program page |
| Paramedic, NREMT or state written exam | 92.9% | 2024, college program page |
| Medical Assistant, CMA exam | 93.98% (five-year average) | 2020-2024, college program page |
| Health Information Management, RHIT exam | 4 of 6 first-time takers passed | 2022-23, college program page |
| Graduation rate | 66% within 150% of normal time | Full-time, first-time students entering fall 2021, College Navigator |
| Related employment | 77.3% of graduates available for work | FY2022 graduates, Minnesota State |
The college’s own Practical Nursing outcomes disclosure shows LPN job placement of 76.9% for 2023-24 graduates, below its 90% target, and completion within three semesters also below target.
The graduation rate is from College Navigator; the related employment rate is the share of graduates available for work who found a job related to their training within a year, based on graduates’ own reports.
Before you enroll
- Practical Nursing leads to an LPN license only. Anoka Tech has no RN or LPN-to-RN program, so plan on a second program elsewhere if your goal is RN.
- The NCLEX-PN pass rate dropped from 95.00% in 2024 to 84.31% in 2025, below the Minnesota and national averages, and LPN job placement (76.9% for 2023-24) is below the program’s own target.
- Surgical Technology starts with a separate 28-credit Sterile Processing certificate, so the route to the CST takes longer than the 60-credit degree suggests.
- The headline rate of $230.07 per credit is not what everyone pays: online courses are $241.48 and program rates run from $256.31 for Practical Nursing and Welding to $355.69 for Judicial Reporting.
- There is no campus housing, and OTA fieldwork can be up to 275 miles away. If you live outside Minnesota, ask the college whether you can enroll in an online program from your state.
One campus in Anoka
The campus is at 1355 West Highway 10, Anoka, MN 55303, in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. Every in-person program, from nursing and surgical technology to welding, automotive and construction electrician, is taught there. Anoka-Ramsey Community College, which shares Anoka Tech’s president, has its own campuses and is a separate college.
Clinicals, externships and internships
Work experience is built into several programs: Practical Nursing clinicals, Surgical Technology rotations in Twin Cities hospitals, the 280-hour Medical Assistant externship, Level I and Level II OTA fieldwork and a 40-hour Judicial Reporting internship. Construction Electrician graduates commonly go on to union apprenticeships, according to the college.
What students say
On Niche, Anoka Technical College is rated 3.89 out of 5 from 157 reviews, with an overall grade of B (checked 12 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise patient, approachable instructors, hands-on career programs such as electrical and automotive, and small classes with supportive staff; adult students also mention flexible schedules. The most common complaints are uneven instructor quality, friction during admissions and onboarding, and little campus life. The reviews we could see run from 2017 to 2025 with no sign of a burst.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Practical Nursing (LPN)
- Nursing Assistant/Home Health Aide
- Surgical Technology
- Sterile Processing
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Paramedic
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Medical Assistant
- Health Technology
- Community Health Worker (online)
- Behavioral Health & Human Services (online)
Health Information and Medical Office (online)
- Health Information Management
- Health Data Analytics
- Medical Coding Specialist
- Medical Office Specialist
- Medical Receptionist
- Health Unit Coordinator
Welding, Machining and Electronics
- Welding
- Pipe Welder
- Robotic & Laser Welding
- Welding Fabricator
- Machine Technology
- CNC Design & Manufacturing Technology
- Advanced CNC Machine Technology
- CNC Service Technician
- Quality Inspector / Quality Technician
- Electronic Technology
- Robotic & Electronic Engineering Technology
- Biomedical Equipment Technician
Automotive and Electrical
- Automotive Technician
- Automotive Electronic Diagnostic Specialist
- Construction Electrician
Drafting, Architecture and Construction Estimating
- Mechanical Drafting & Design
- Architectural Technology
- Structural Design (online)
- Construction Estimating (online)
Information Technology (online)
- Information Technology AAS: Business Data Analyst, IT Support, Network Management & Security, Software Development, Web Design & Development
Business (online)
- Administrative Office Specialist
- Office Software Specialist
- Office Communications Specialist
Legal
- Judicial Reporting
- CART & Broadcast Captioning
- Scoping/Proofreading
Other
- Turf & Golf Course Management
Campus Locations
Minneapolis (Anoka), MN 1355 West Highway 10, Anoka, MN 55303