| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year technical college, one of the 16 colleges of the Wisconsin Technical College System; campus-based, with about 45 credentials through its Online Campus |
| Campuses | 4 campuses (Downtown Milwaukee, Mequon, Oak Creek, West Allis) and 2 centers (Walker’s Square Education Center and the Aviation Center), all in the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin |
| Credentials | Associate degrees (AAS; AA and AS for transfer), technical diplomas, certificates, apprenticeships and badges |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission since 1959; next review 2028-29 |
| Federal aid | Yes (federal school code 003866); certificates on their own are not aid-eligible |
| 2026-27 tuition | $183.10 per credit for Wisconsin residents and $261.83 out-of-state (associate degrees and diplomas, including fees) |
| Students | 13,792 in fall 2024, 23% full-time |
| Founded | Roots in 1912; named Milwaukee Area Technical College in 1969 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
MATC: a public technical college across the Milwaukee area
Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) is a public two-year college and one of the 16 colleges of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS), whose board approves programs and sets base tuition. Its roots go back to the Milwaukee Continuation School of 1912, and it took its current name in 1969 after merging with the area’s other vocational schools. It teaches at four campuses, Downtown Milwaukee, Mequon, Oak Creek and West Allis, and at two centers, Walker’s Square and the Aviation Center, and offers about 45 credentials through its Online Campus. Fall 2024 enrollment was 13,792, and 77% of students attended part-time. Programs that stand out in Wisconsin include Funeral Service, which the college calls the state’s only accredited program, FAA-approved aircraft maintenance and an eight-week Class A CDL course.
Main career programs and where they are taught
The table shows the main career programs, their length and seats as the program pages list them, and the campus that teaches each. MATC prices programs by the credit (see the next section) and publishes no whole-program totals on the program pages.
| Program | Credential | Length and seats | Campus | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | AAS, 65 credits | 6-semester sequence; 120 seats a year | Downtown, Mequon | NCLEX-RN |
| Practical Nursing | Technical diploma, 32 credits | 2 semesters; 120 seats | Downtown | NCLEX-PN |
| Radiography | AAS, 64 credits | 4 semesters plus summer session and externship; 26 seats each fall | Downtown | ARRT |
| Respiratory Therapy | AAS, 64 credits | 33 seats Downtown, 15 at Mequon | Downtown, Mequon | NBRC exams; Wisconsin licence |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | AAS, 64 credits | 20 seats, spring start | Mequon | NPTE-PTA |
| Dental Hygiene | AAS, 67 credits | 2 years; 50 seats a year | Downtown | National Board and clinical exam |
| Surgical Technologist | AAS, 65 credits | 5 semesters; 32 seats | Downtown | NBSTSA CST |
| EMT-Paramedic | Technical diploma, 41 credits; Paramedic Technician AAS | 2 semesters; 24 seats at each campus | Mequon, Oak Creek | NREMT |
| Funeral Service | AAS | – | West Allis | – |
| Welding Technology | AAS, 61 credits | 4 semesters; August and January starts | Downtown, Walker’s Square | AWS CAWI or CWI |
| Welding | Technical diploma, 30 credits | 2 semesters | Mequon, Oak Creek, West Allis | – |
| Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology | AAS, 64 credits; 30-credit diploma | 4 semesters (diploma 2) | Oak Creek | – |
| Truck Driving | Technical diploma, 10 credits | 8 weeks; six starts a year | Oak Creek | Class A CDL |
| Aviation Maintenance Technician | General certificate, 15 credits, then Airframe and Powerplant diplomas | Fall start; 32 seats | Aviation Center | FAA General, Airframe and Powerplant tests |
| Legal Studies/Paralegal | AAS, 64 credits | – | Downtown, or fully remote | – |
| Automotive Technology – Comprehensive | AAS, 62 credits | – | Mequon | – |
| Aesthetician | Technical diploma, 22 credits | 2 terms | Mequon | Wisconsin licensing exam |
MATC’s programmatic accreditation schedule lists, among others: ACEN for registered and practical nursing; JRCERT for radiography; CAPTE for the physical therapist assistant program; CODA for dental hygiene; CAAHEP for surgical technology, anesthesia technology, paramedic and medical assistant; NAACLS for medical laboratory technician and phlebotomy; ACOTE for occupational therapy assistant; ASHP/ACPE for pharmacy technician; ABFSE for funeral service; the American Bar Association for paralegal; HVAC Excellence; and the ASE Education Foundation for automotive. The Respiratory Therapy program page gives CoARC accreditation, continuing for the Downtown program and provisional for the Mequon cohort.
What the main programs cover
Registered Nursing
The 65-credit associate degree runs as a six-semester sequence at the Downtown Milwaukee and Mequon campuses, with 60 students admitted each term. Before entering, students complete Nursing Assistant training, keep a 2.5 grade point average at MATC, earn at least a B- in the biology courses BIOSCI-177, 179 and 197, and score 65% or higher on the TEAS. The college lists a wait of about six months. Practical nurses can join through the LPN to ADN Progression instead of starting at the beginning. Graduates sit the NCLEX-RN.
Practical Nursing
Practical Nursing is a 32-credit technical diploma taught over two semesters at the Downtown Milwaukee campus, with 120 seats and, according to the college, no current waiting list. Entry requires a TEAS score of at least 58.7%. Graduates take the NCLEX-PN to become licensed practical nurses and can later return through the LPN to ADN Progression, offered at Downtown and Mequon, to finish the RN degree. In MATC’s follow-up of December 2023 and May 2024 graduates, 91% of the 22 practical nursing respondents in the labor force were employed.
Welding
The Welding Technology associate degree, 61 credits over four semesters, starts in August and January at the Downtown Milwaukee campus and the Walker’s Square Education Center, and can be taken in Spanish. Its advanced code-application courses prepare students for the American Welding Society’s Certified Associate Welding Inspector or Certified Welding Inspector credential. The 30-credit Welding technical diploma takes two semesters at Mequon, Oak Creek or West Allis and names no industry certification. Badges in GMAW, GTAW and SMAW welding are offered at different campuses.
Air conditioning and refrigeration
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology is a 64-credit associate degree over four semesters at the Oak Creek campus, accredited by HVAC Excellence through its next review in 2027. Students can start with the 30-credit Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating Service Technician diploma, which takes two semesters, and ladder into the degree. Part of the Refrigeration 2 course (HVAC2-116) can be earned as co-op credit while working, with employer and instructor agreement. Oak Creek also teaches Building Automated Systems and boiler-operator programs.
Truck Driving (Class A CDL)
Truck Driving is a 10-credit technical diploma taught in person at the Oak Creek campus and finished in eight weeks. It prepares students for the Class A commercial driver’s license. Classes start six times a year, in August, October, January, March, May and June, while most MATC programs start only in August and January. Oak Creek also teaches Transportation-Logistics and Supply Chain Management; its diesel, collision and automotive programs on the same campus train mechanics, not drivers.
Aviation maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is taught at the MATC Aviation Center at 422 E College Avenue in Milwaukee, part of the Oak Creek campus, under FAA Part 147. Students first complete the 15-credit Aviation Maintenance Technician – General certificate, then the Airframe technical diploma, then the Powerplant diploma. The General certificate starts only in fall, with 32 seats, and the college lists a waiting list of about two and a half years. Because it is a certificate, the General stage on its own is not eligible for federal financial aid.
2026-27 tuition and how students pay
The WTCS Board sets base tuition for all 16 Wisconsin technical colleges: $157.45 per credit for residents and $236.18 for non-residents in career programs for 2026-27. MATC adds $25.65 per credit in included fees (academic support center, student activity, graduation assessment and a transportation surcharge), so it publishes these rates. There is no separate in-district rate: every Wisconsin resident pays the resident rate.
| 2026-27, per credit (tuition plus included fees) | Wisconsin resident | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Associate degree and technical diploma courses | $183.10 | $261.83 |
| Four-year college transfer courses | $221.70 | $319.73 |
| Apprentice courses | $183.10 | – |
Other charges include a material fee of $6 per course (more in some programs), a $9 student ID each semester and parking at $25 a semester. MATC estimates a 12-credit semester in an associate degree at $3,037.20 for a resident, including $200 per course for books. College Navigator puts 2025-26 tuition and fees at $5,184 a year in-state and $7,427 out-of-state.
MATC takes federal student aid (school code 003866), but certificates on their own, such as EKG Technician and the Aviation Maintenance Technician – General certificate, are not aid-eligible. MATC Promise Plus pays last-dollar tuition, plus books and materials from the MATC Bookstore and a supplies amount, for students whose household income is below 300% of the federal poverty level, who graduated from a high school in the district or live in it, and who take at least 9 program credits. It lasts up to 4 semesters for a diploma or 7 for an associate degree; the 2026-27 deadline is 11 December 2026, and a FAFSA is required. Veterans can use the GI Bill, and the Wisconsin GI Bill remits full tuition and material fees for up to 8 full-time semesters or 128 credits. The Military Education Support office is on the Downtown campus, Room S115C.
Open admission, with waiting lists for many health programs
The college admits openly, and programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent. Many health programs have extra steps and a waiting list: a 2.5 MATC grade point average, minimum science grades and a TEAS score (65% for RN and Physical Therapist Assistant, 58.7% for Practical Nursing, 70% for Anesthesia Technology). The college lists waits of about six months for RN, a year for Radiography and Respiratory Therapy, a year and a half for Dental Hygiene and Paramedic, two years for Sonography and two and a half years for the Aviation General certificate. Practical Nursing, Physical Therapist Assistant, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Medical Laboratory Technician, Surgical Technologist and Anesthesia Technology show no current wait.
Most programs start in August and January; Truck Driving starts six times a year, and Sonography and the Aviation General certificate once a year. Most health and trades programs are in person. The Online Campus lists about 45 credentials, with accelerated online formats for the Associate of Arts, IT Network Specialist and Marketing, and the Paralegal degree can be completed remotely. For a bachelor’s degree, MATC’s transfer page lists 36 transfer partners, one of them the whole University of Wisconsin System, with guaranteed admission at Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Accreditation and results
MATC has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1959. HLC’s 2023 evaluation ended with the decision to continue accreditation, the next review is due in 2028-29, and HLC’s page shows no current sanction. The licensure figures below come from MATC’s pass-rate sheet, updated May 2026; the graduation rate is the federal figure.
| Measure | Result | Period |
|---|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN, first-time pass rate | 87.63% | October–December 2025 (one quarter) |
| NCLEX-PN, first-time pass rate | 95.65% | October–December 2025 (one quarter) |
| Radiography, ARRT exam | 98.9% | Five-year average through 2025 |
| Physical Therapist Assistant, NPTE | 92% overall | 2025 |
| EMT-Paramedic, NREMT or state cognitive exam | 80.4% | 2025 |
| Surgical Technologist, CST first-time pass rate | 64% (7 of 11) | May 2025 |
| Graduation rate | 25% within 150% of normal time | Full-time, first-time students who started in fall 2021 (College Navigator) |
The NCLEX figures cover a single quarter, not a full year. The Surgical Technologist result is below the 80–100% national range shown on MATC’s own sheet. MATC’s latest graduate follow-up report gives employment figures by program only, with no college-wide employment rate.
Before you enroll
- Waiting lists are long in several health and aviation programs: about two years for Sonography, which takes 13 students a year, and about two and a half years for the Aviation General certificate. Finish the prerequisites early and get on the list.
- Certificates on their own, such as EKG Technician and the Aviation General certificate, are not eligible for federal financial aid.
- The 30-credit Welding diploma at Mequon, Oak Creek and West Allis names no industry certification. Preparation for the AWS inspector credentials is in the 61-credit Welding Technology degree, taught Downtown and at Walker’s Square. The HVAC program page does not mention EPA 608 certification.
- In May 2025, only 7 of 11 Surgical Technologist graduates passed the certification exam on the first try.
- The federal graduation rate is 25% for full-time students who started in fall 2021, and that rate counts only full-time students, while 77% of MATC students attend part-time.
Four campuses and two centers: what each teaches
| Campus | Address | Main programs here |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Milwaukee (main) | 700 West State Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233 | Most health programs, including RN and practical nursing, radiography, dental hygiene, sonography and surgical technology; paralegal; culinary and baking; cosmetology and barber; Welding Technology AAS |
| Mequon | 5555 West Highland Road, Mequon, WI 53092 | Physical Therapist Assistant (only here), RN, respiratory therapy, EMT and paramedic, aesthetician, Automotive Technology – Comprehensive, landscape horticulture, line mechanic, Welding diploma |
| Oak Creek | 6665 South Howell Avenue, Oak Creek, WI 53154 | HVAC and refrigeration, fire protection, protective services, Class A CDL truck driving, EMT and paramedic, collision repair and diesel, supply chain, Welding diploma |
| West Allis | 1200 South 71st Street, West Allis, WI 53214 | Funeral Service, medical assistant and medical office programs, real estate, interior design, IT support and cybersecurity, early childhood education, Welding diploma |
| Walker’s Square Education Center (Downtown) | 816 W National Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53204 | Welding Technology AAS |
| Aviation Center (Oak Creek) | 422 E College Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53207 | Aviation Maintenance Technician – General, Airframe and Powerplant |
Nursing Assistant and the Associate of Arts and Science transfer tracks are offered at all four campuses. The Online Campus is not a physical site. MATC also teaches at two correctional facilities under a prison education program; those sites are not open to the public.
Housing and career help
MATC has no college-owned housing. Its preferred housing partner, Westown Green Apartments at 925 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Milwaukee, is privately owned and has nearly 200 beds, mostly in four-bedroom units at $596 to $824 per bed a month, and students can defer rent against financial aid. Fieldhouse Flats, a project with 269 workforce housing units and a shared MATC athletic facility, broke ground in April 2026 and is expected in fall 2027. CareerHub offers free career assessment, advising, job-search and résumé help and internships to students and alumni, and employers post jobs through Handshake.
What students say
On Niche, Milwaukee Area Technical College is rated 3.81 out of 5 from 726 reviews, with an overall grade of B+ (checked 9 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise the low cost and career-focused training, instructors with industry experience, and a diverse, welcoming campus with useful tutoring and advising. The most common complaints are inconsistent communication from administrative offices, registration and financial-aid processes that feel confusing or slow, and parking and limited social life at a commuter college. The reviews cover the whole college, and we could not see when they were posted, so we cannot say whether they were invited by the school or came in bursts.
Sources
Checked October 2026: MATC campuses and locations · MATC course catalog · Tuition and fees · Licensure exam pass rates (May 2026) · HLC accreditation status · College Navigator · Transfer agreements · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Registered Nursing (ADN)
- LPN to ADN Progression
- Practical Nursing (LPN)
- Nursing Assistant
Health Sciences
- Anesthesia Technology
- Cardiovascular Technology
- Dental Hygiene
- Dental Assistant
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography
- EKG Technician
- Health Information Technology
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Laboratory Technician
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Pharmacy Technician
- Phlebotomy
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Radiography
- Respiratory Therapy
- Surgical Technologist
Emergency Services and Public Safety
- EMT and Advanced EMT
- EMT-Paramedic
- Paramedic Technician
- Fire Protection Technician
- Criminal Justice Studies
Business
- Accounting
- Banking and Financial Services
- Business Management
- Human Resources
- Marketing
- Supply Chain Management
- Entrepreneurship
Legal
- Legal Studies/Paralegal
Culinary and Hospitality
- Culinary Arts
- Baking and Pastry Arts
- Hospitality Management
- Event Management
Personal and Funeral Services
- Aesthetician
- Cosmetology
- Barber
- Nail Technician
- Funeral Service
Real Estate and Design
- Real Estate
- Interior Design
Building and Construction Trades
- Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC)
- Welding Technology
- Welding
- Carpentry
- Electricity
- Electrical Power Distribution (Line Mechanic)
- Architectural Technology
- Landscape Horticulture
Automotive, Aviation and Transportation
- Automotive Technology
- Auto Collision Repair and Finish Technician
- Diesel and Powertrain Servicing
- Truck Driving (Class A CDL)
- Aviation Maintenance Technician
Manufacturing
- CNC Technician
- Tool and Die Making
Computers and IT
- IT Computer Support Specialist
- IT Cybersecurity Specialist
- IT Network Specialist
- IT Web and Software Developer
- IT Mobile Applications Developer
- Web & Digital Media Design
Education
- Early Childhood Education
Campus Locations
Milwaukee, WI 700 West State Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233
Milwaukee (Mequon), WI 5555 West Highland Road, Mequon, WI 53092
Milwaukee (Oak Creek), WI 6665 South Howell Avenue, Oak Creek, WI 53154
Milwaukee (West Allis), WI 1200 South 71st Street, West Allis, WI 53214
Milwaukee, WI 816 W National Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53204
Milwaukee, WI 422 E College Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53207