| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year technical college in the Minnesota State system; campus-based, with many business and computer programs fully online |
| Campuses | 2, both in the Minneapolis area: Brooklyn Park (main) and Eden Prairie, plus a Public Safety & Police Science Center beside the Brooklyn Park campus |
| Credentials | Associate degrees (AAS; AS transfer pathways), diplomas, occupational certificates and advanced technical certificates |
| Programs | 69 program areas; 197 awards in the 2026-27 catalog |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission; last reaffirmed 2016-17 and next evaluation visit scheduled for 26-27 October 2026, according to the college |
| Federal aid | Yes (OPE ID 01049100) |
| 2026-27 cost | $225.67 per credit with fees on campus, $239.88 online; same for residents and non-residents; program rates $230.10 to $337.79 |
| Students | 4,572 in fall 2024, 38% full-time |
| Founded | Created under 1968 legislation; campuses opened in 1972 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Hennepin Tech: a public technical college with two Minneapolis-area campuses
Hennepin Technical College, often called Hennepin Tech or HTC, is a public two-year college in Minnesota State, the state’s system of colleges and universities. Its trustees set tuition, and residents and non-residents pay the same rate. The college began under 1968 legislation as a cooperative of more than a dozen suburban Hennepin County school districts, called the Suburban Hennepin County Area Vocational Technical Centers, and its Brooklyn Park and Eden Prairie campuses opened in fall 1972. It took its current name in 1989 and joined the merged Minnesota State system in 1995.
Most hands-on trade, health and public-safety programs are taught on the two campuses, while many business and computer programs run fully online. Fall 2024 enrollment was 4,572, of whom 62% studied part-time.
Programs at Hennepin Tech, and where they meet
The college lists 69 program areas, and the 2026-27 catalog lists 197 awards, from one-course certificates to 72-credit AAS degrees. The table shows the main career programs with the college’s 2026-27 per-credit rate, which includes mandatory fees. The college publishes extra costs for some programs but no whole-program totals.
| Program | Credential | Length / starts | Where and when | Prepares for | 2026-27 rate per credit with fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing (LPN) | Diploma, 42 credits; AAS option | 2 semesters | Brooklyn Park (fall start), Eden Prairie (spring start); daytime | NCLEX-PN | $266.22 |
| Dental Assistant | Diploma, 49 credits; AAS option | Fall and spring starts | Both campuses; daytime | DANB exams, Minnesota licensure | $234.49 |
| Nursing Assistant | Certificate, 4 credits | One course | Both campuses; daytime | Minnesota nursing assistant competency evaluation | $225.67 |
| EMT | Certificate, 9 credits | – | Both campuses; day and evening | NREMT skills | $248.22 |
| Welding | Diploma, 55 credits; four certificates | Fall, spring and summer starts | Brooklyn Park; day and evening | – | $258.74 |
| HVAC | AAS, 72 credits; Residential diploma, 34; Commercial diploma, 31 | Diplomas 2 semesters | Both campuses (Commercial diploma and AAS semesters 3-4 at Eden Prairie) | EPA 608, OSHA 30 (built in) | $233.34 |
| Plumbing (pre-apprenticeship) | Diploma, 36 credits; certificate, 18 | 2 semesters; fall start only | Brooklyn Park (day), Eden Prairie (evening) | Entry as an apprentice | $230.10 |
| Carpentry | AAS, 60 credits; two diplomas; certificate | – | Brooklyn Park (evening), Eden Prairie (day) | – | $245.67 |
| Construction Electrician | Diploma | – | Eden Prairie; evening | – | $246.94 |
| Automotive Technician | AAS, 72 credits; diploma | – | Brooklyn Park (day, evening), Eden Prairie (day) | – | $235.22 |
| Auto Body Technician | AAS, 72 credits; diploma | Includes an internship | Brooklyn Park (day), Eden Prairie (evening) | – | $243.35 |
| Peace Officer & Public Safety | AS, 68 credits; skills certificate | Fall, spring and summer starts (certificate) | Brooklyn Park (Public Safety & Police Science Center) | Minnesota Peace Officer Licensing Exam | $337.79 |
| Professional Firefighter | Diploma, 47 credits | – | Eden Prairie | Firefighter I and II, Hazmat Operations | $268.83 |
| Culinary Arts | AAS, 65 credits | – | Brooklyn Park; daytime | – | $257.03 |
| Architectural Technology | AAS, 72 credits | – | Both campuses; evening, some online | – | $225.67 |
| Software Developer | AAS, diploma, certificate | Fall, spring and summer starts | 100% online | – | $239.88 |
Programmatic accreditation, as the college lists it: ACEN for Practical Nursing, CODA for Dental Assistant, HVAC Excellence for HVAC, the ASE Education Foundation for Automotive Technology, Ford ASSET and Medium/Heavy Truck, and the American Culinary Federation for the Culinary Arts AAS. The peace officer degree is certified by the Minnesota POST Board as a Professional Peace Officer Education program.
The college has no RN program, no entry-level paramedic program (Community Paramedicine is for working paramedics) and no truck driving or CDL training; its diesel program trains mechanics. Medical Assistant has been archived. Several programs are suspended, including the Marine, Motorsport & Outdoor Power diploma (until 2029) and the Cabinetmaking AAS.
What the main programs cover
Practical Nursing (LPN)
The diploma is 42 credits over two semesters, 38 technical and 4 general education, with 7 credits of clinicals that may fall in mornings, evenings or weekends. Classes are in the daytime. Brooklyn Park starts a cohort each fall and Eden Prairie each spring, with about 48 seats in each. Students must finish pre-nursing coursework and then apply separately at a nursing application session. Supplies run about $196 to $296. Graduates sit the NCLEX-PN for an LPN license; an optional AAS builds on the diploma.
Dental Assistant
The 49-credit diploma combines 42 technical and 7 general-education credits, with 11 pre-program credits in the sequence. It starts in fall and spring, by day, at both campuses. The summer term is a 9-credit externship: a seminar plus two 4-credit clinical externships. Graduates are eligible for the DANB exams and Minnesota licensure as a licensed dental assistant. The college estimates about $2,100 in extras, including a $950 kit, $450 for books and $450 in DANB fees.
Welding & Metal Fabrication
The 55-credit diploma (52 required, 3 elective) is taught only at Brooklyn Park, by day or evening, with starts in fall, spring and summer, and prerequisites apply. Coursework covers shielded metal arc (SMAW), gas tungsten arc (GTAW), gas metal arc (GMAW) and flux-cored (FCAW) welding, structural iron, automated cutting and advanced robotic welding. Shorter certificates cover MIG and TIG production welding, structural iron fabrication and repair, and robotic arc welding. The college lists the American Welding Society as an affiliation but does not promise AWS certification.
HVAC
Residential HVAC is a 34-credit, two-semester diploma; Commercial HVAC&R is a 31-credit, two-semester diploma taught only at Eden Prairie; the AAS is 72 credits, with its third and fourth semesters at Eden Prairie. OSHA 30 and EPA 608 training are built into the program, and students can add R-410A, low-GWP and hydrocarbon credentials and the Minnesota Class C Boiler Operator and Special Boilers licences as options. A 1-credit externship is an elective. Starts are spring at Brooklyn Park and fall at either campus.
Plumbing pre-apprenticeship
The college calls the curriculum a plumbing pre-apprenticeship. The diploma is two 18-credit semesters, and the certificate is one; both start only in fall, by day at Brooklyn Park or in the evening at Eden Prairie, and prerequisites apply. Graduates are prepared for entry-level apprentice jobs with plumbing contractors, not for a license: Minnesota requires 7,000 hours of on-the-job training before a plumber can be licensed.
Peace Officer
Peace officer training is held at the Public Safety & Police Science Center, 9110 Brooklyn Boulevard, beside the Brooklyn Park campus, with skills training and simulations. The 68-credit AS (37 technical, 31 general education) includes a 12-credit skills block. Students who already have the academic law-enforcement coursework can take only the skills certificate, which starts in fall, spring or summer, by day or evening; completers are eligible for the Minnesota Peace Officer Licensing Exam. A Peace Officer Transition diploma serves degree holders.
Tuition and how students pay
Minnesota State trustees approved the 2026-27 rates on 20 May 2026. Base tuition rose 8.2%, from $186.96 to $202.32 per credit, against a system-wide college average of 6.25%. Hennepin Tech has no separate out-of-state rate.
| 2026-27, per credit | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition (residents and non-residents) | $202.32 |
| Tuition plus mandatory fees, on campus | $225.67 |
| Tuition plus fees, online (includes the $4.50 Minnesota Online fee) | $239.88 |
| Program rates, tuition and fees included | $230.10 (Plumbing) to $337.79 (Peace Officer) |
| Minnesota residents aged 62 and over | $20 per credit in place of tuition, plus fees and materials |
Mandatory fees cover parking (up to $58.50 a semester), student life, technology, health services and the state student association. The application fee is $20. College Navigator gives 2024-25 tuition and fees of $5,940 for a year, and Niche puts the average net price at $9,666 a year. The college’s net price calculator gives a personal estimate. Hennepin Tech takes federal student aid (OPE ID 01049100), and the college says about 70% of the cost of education is funded by the state.
Open admission, with separate entry for some programs
The college admits applicants openly. Some programs add their own steps: Practical Nursing needs pre-nursing coursework and a nursing application, Peace Officer needs prior academic law-enforcement coursework, and Dental Assistant, Welding, HVAC and Plumbing list prerequisites on their program pages.
Start dates vary by program: plumbing starts only in fall; Practical Nursing in fall at Brooklyn Park and spring at Eden Prairie; Dental Assistant in fall and spring; and Welding, Peace Officer and Software Developer in fall, spring or summer. Schedules differ by campus, so check both: plumbing is daytime at Brooklyn Park and evening at Eden Prairie, carpentry the reverse, and Construction Electrician is evening only.
Accreditation and results
Hennepin Tech is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which last reaffirmed it in 2016-17, according to the college. The college submitted its assurance argument in spring 2026, and HLC’s evaluation visit for the next reaffirmation is scheduled for 26-27 October 2026; the outcome will not be known until after the visit.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 92.31% of 13 candidates (Minnesota 86.12%, US 86.60%) | 2025, Minnesota Board of Nursing |
| Practical Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 93.75% of 16 candidates (Minnesota 87.55%, US 88.38%) | 2024, Minnesota Board of Nursing |
| Dental Assistant, DANB exams | General Chairside 76%, Radiation Health & Safety 100%, Infection Control 84% | 2024, college program page |
| Graduation rate | 42% within 150% of normal time | Full-time, first-time students entering fall 2021, College Navigator |
| Retention | 73% of full-time and 59% of part-time students returned | Fall 2023 to fall 2024, College Navigator |
The Practical Nursing pass rate has recovered from 60.47% in 2022 and 66.67% in 2023, but the number of first-time candidates fell from 43 in 2022 to 13 in 2025, so a few results move the rate a lot.
Before you enroll
- Practical Nursing leads to an LPN license only. There is no RN program here, so plan for a separate RN program elsewhere if that is your goal.
- Plumbing graduates start as apprentices. Minnesota requires 7,000 hours of on-the-job training before licensure.
- Architectural Technology trains CAD and BIM technicians. It does not lead to an architect’s license.
- The headline rate of $225.67 per credit is not what students in many trade and health programs pay: program rates run up to $337.79 per credit for Peace Officer, $268.83 for Fire Protection and $266.22 for Nursing.
- Many programs are taught at only one campus, and the same program can be day at one campus and evening at the other. Check before you choose a campus.
Two campuses: what each teaches
| Campus | Address | Taught only here (main programs) |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Park (main) | 9000 Brooklyn Boulevard, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445 | Welding, culinary arts, baking and pastry, landscaping and horticulture, cabinetmaking, CNC machining, tool and die, medium/heavy truck, Ford ASSET, facilities maintenance, graphic and web design, animation, peace officer |
| Eden Prairie | 13100 College View Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55347 | Fire and emergency management, Construction Electrician, Commercial HVAC&R and HVAC AAS semesters 3-4, Audio Production, Electronics |
Both campuses teach Practical Nursing, Dental Assistant, Nursing Assistant, EMT, HVAC, plumbing, carpentry, auto body, automotive, Architectural Technology and Cyber Defense. The Public Safety & Police Science Center is part of the Brooklyn Park campus. Online programs are open to students in other states through NC-SARA, but programs that lead to a license are designed for Minnesota.
Externships, clinicals and internships
Work experience is built into several programs: the 9-credit Dental Assistant externship, Practical Nursing clinicals, the Auto Body internship and a 1-credit HVAC externship elective.
What students say
On Niche, Hennepin Technical College is rated 4.11 out of 5 from 152 reviews, with an overall grade of B+ (checked October 2026). Reviewers most often praise supportive, approachable instructors, hands-on technical training, flexible day, evening, online and hybrid schedules, and low cost, and some mention a free food and hygiene-essentials program. The most common complaints are slow responses from administrative offices and limited advising, problems transferring credits, and frustration with the LPN program, whose first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate was 92-94% in 2024 and 2025. The reviews cover the whole college, and we could not tell whether they were invited by the school or posted in bursts.
Sources
Checked October 2026: Hennepin Tech campuses · 2026-27 catalog · Tuition and fees · Accreditation · Minnesota Board of Nursing NCLEX-PN results 2022-2025 · College Navigator · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Practical Nursing (LPN)
- Nursing Assistant
- Dental Assistant
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Emergency Medical Services Specialist
- Emergency Room Technician
- Community Paramedicine (for working paramedics)
- Health Science (transfer degree)
Public Safety
- Peace Officer & Public Safety (AS)
- Peace Officer (skills certificate)
- Peace Officer Transition
- Firefighting / Fire Rescue
- Fire Science
- Emergency Management
- Fire Investigation, Prevention and Officer certificates
Construction and Building Trades
- Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC)
- Plumbing Pre-Apprenticeship
- Carpentry
- Construction Electrician
- Facilities Maintenance
- Architectural Technology
- Cabinetmaking & Woodworking
Welding and Manufacturing
- Welding & Metal Fabrication
- CNC Machining
- Tool & Die/Moldmaking
- Manufacturing Engineering Technology
- Mechatronics
- Automation Robotics Engineering Technology
- Fluid Power
- Quality Assurance
- Engineering CAD (Mechanical Drafting, Product Design)
- Electronics
Automotive, Collision and Diesel
- Automotive Technology
- Ford ASSET
- Auto Body Collision Technology
- Medium/Heavy Truck (Diesel) Technology
Landscape and Horticulture
- Landscape Design & Construction
- Greenhouse Operations
- Professional Gardening
- Urban Forestry & Arboriculture
Culinary
- Culinary Arts
- Culinary Entrepreneur
- Baking & Pastry Entrepreneur
Business (mostly online)
- Accounting
- Accounting/MIS
- Management
- Marketing & Sales
- Project Management
- Entrepreneurship
- Human Resource Management
- Business (certificate and transfer pathway)
Computers and IT
- Cyber Defense
- Software Developer (online)
- Database Specialist (certificate)
- IT Support
- Network Administration
- Data Analyst
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data Center Administration
Design and Media
- Graphic Design
- Web Design
- Animation and Motion Graphics
- Interactive Design & Video Production
- Audio Production
Education and Human Services
- Child Development (online)
- Early Childhood Education Transfer Pathway
- Pre-Social Work Transfer Pathway
Campus Locations
Minneapolis (Brooklyn Park), MN 9000 Brooklyn Boulevard, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
Minneapolis (Eden Prairie), MN 13100 College View Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55347