| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year technical college, one of the 16 in the Wisconsin Technical College System; campus, online and hybrid classes |
| Campuses | 4, all in northwest Wisconsin: Rice Lake (main), New Richmond, Superior and Ashland, plus a Health Education Center in Shell Lake |
| Credentials | Associate degrees, technical diplomas, certificates and registered-apprenticeship instruction |
| Programs | 102 in the college’s directory |
| Typical length | From the 90-hour Nursing Assistant diploma to two-year associate degrees |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission since 1979; reaffirmed with monitoring in January 2023 |
| Federal aid | Yes, school code 011824; several short programs are not aid-eligible |
| 2026-27 tuition and fees | $178.45 per credit for Wisconsin, Minnesota and Gogebic County, Michigan, residents; $257.18 for other out-of-state students |
| Students | 14,302 in 2024-25, 6,452 of them in credit courses |
| Founded | 1912 in Superior; named Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College until 2 August 2021 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Northwood Tech: northwest Wisconsin’s technical college, formerly WITC
Northwood Technical College began in Superior in 1912 as the Industrial, Commercial, Continuing and Evening School. Ashland followed in 1921, Rice Lake in 1941 and New Richmond in 1967, and the Indianhead district was formed in 1972. Until 2 August 2021 it was Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (WITC), and older documents use that name. It is one of the 16 colleges of the Wisconsin Technical College System, run by its own district board, serving a 10,500-square-mile district of more than 340,000 residents. Several programs are taught at only one campus, from marine repair in Ashland to HVAC/R in Superior and veterinary technology in New Richmond, so where a student lives often decides what they can study.
Programs across the four campuses
The college’s directory lists 102 programs. The table shows the main career programs, with campuses and costs from each program page (October 2026).
| Program | Credential | Length | Campuses | Prepares for / accreditation | 2026-27 est. tuition* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing – Associate Degree (RN) | AAS, 70 credits | 2 years (college: 3–4 realistic for many) | All 4 | NCLEX-RN; ACEN | $15,119 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | AAS, 64 credits | 2 years | Ashland, New Richmond, Rice Lake | NBCOT; ACOTE | $11,586 |
| Veterinary Technician | AAS, 65 credits | 2 years | New Richmond | VTNE; AVMA-CVTEA (initial) | $11,780 |
| Surgical Technology (apprenticeship) | AAS, 65 credits | 6 semesters | New Richmond and partner hospitals | NBSTSA CST; CAAHEP | $11,654 |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | AAS, 64 credits | 2 years | New Richmond | Seeking NAACLS accreditation | $13,169 |
| Medical Assistant | Diploma, 32 credits | 1 year | All 4 | AAMA CMA; CAAHEP | $5,986 |
| Dental Assistant | Diploma, 30 credits | 9 months | Rice Lake, Superior | CODA-approved | $7,176 |
| Pharmacy Technician | Certificate, 11 credits | 1 semester | All 4 (labs at New Richmond or Superior) | PTCB-recognized program | $2,006 |
| Phlebotomy | Certificate, 13–14 credits | About 1 semester, evenings and Saturdays | New Richmond, Rice Lake | – | $2,471 |
| Emergency Medical Technician | Diploma, 7 credits | – | All 4 | NREMT | $1,680 |
| Paramedic Technician | AAS, 67 credits | 2 years | All 4 | NREMT; CAAHEP (EMT-Paramedic) | $12,290 |
| Nursing Assistant | Diploma, 2 credits | 90 hours | All 4 | Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry | $384 |
| Health Information Technology | AAS, 60 credits | 2 years | Online (on-site practicum) | RHIT; CAHIIM | $10,495 |
| Welding | Diploma, 32 credits | 1 year | All 4 | AWS Skill Standards | $7,617 |
| HVAC/R | Diploma, 54 credits | 2 years | Superior | EPA Section 608 | $10,311 |
| Construction and Cabinetmaking | Diploma, 57 credits | 2 years | Rice Lake | – | $11,246 |
| Truck Driving – CDL A | Diploma, 9 credits | About 9 weeks | New Richmond, Rice Lake | CDL Class A | $2,201 |
| Diesel Equipment Technician | Diploma, 58 credits | 2 years | New Richmond | – | $11,399 |
| Automotive Technician | Diploma, 54 credits | 2 years | Rice Lake | – | $10,946 |
| Automotive Service Technician | Diploma, 28 credits | 1 year | Superior | ASE Education Foundation | $5,633 |
| Marine Repair Technician | Diploma, 42 credits | 3 semesters | Ashland | – | $8,562 |
| Automated Packaging Systems Technician | Diploma, 63 credits | 2 years | New Richmond | PMMI Mechatronics partner | $12,555 |
| Electrical Construction Apprentice | Apprenticeship, 16 credits | 4 years + 8,000 job hours | Rice Lake | WI/MN licensure education | $2,808 |
| Plumbing Apprentice | Apprenticeship, 16 credits | 5 years + 8,000 job hours | Ashland, New Richmond, Rice Lake | Journey-level plumbing licensure | $2,888 |
| Law Enforcement 720 Academy | Diploma, 22 credits | 720 hours | Rice Lake | Wisconsin DOJ certification | $6,050 |
| Cosmetology | Diploma, 38 credits (page also says 30) | 3 semesters | Rice Lake, Superior | Wisconsin cosmetology licence exam | $6,980 |
| IT – Cybersecurity Specialist | AAS, 62 credits | 2 years | New Richmond, Rice Lake, Superior (year 1 also Ashland) | CompTIA, Cisco, EC-Council | $11,422 |
| IT – Web and Software Developer | AAS, 62 credits | 2 years | New Richmond, online | – | $11,342 |
| Accounting | AAS, 60 credits | – | All 4, online | – | $10,479 |
| Early Childhood Education | AAS, 60 credits | – | New Richmond, Rice Lake, Superior, online | Wisconsin Registry credential (preschool option) | $11,024 |
*The college’s “estimated total program tuition” for 2026-27. It leaves out books and most fees; other listed costs are extra, from about $60 for phlebotomy to $8,602 in tools for the automotive programs.
Program accreditation is listed on each program page: ACEN for nursing, ACOTE for occupational therapy assistant, AVMA-CVTEA for veterinary technician, CAAHEP for surgical technology, medical assisting and EMT-Paramedic, CODA for dental assisting, CAHIIM for health information and the ASE Education Foundation for Superior’s automotive program. Health students travel to the Health Education Center in Shell Lake, a simulation center built on the site of the former district office and opened in 2022. Electrical, plumbing and surgical technology are taught as registered apprenticeships and need a sponsoring employer. Funeral Service starts at Northwood and finishes at Milwaukee Area Technical College, which awards the degree.
What the main programs cover
Nursing associate degree
The 70-credit ADN is the college’s route to the NCLEX-RN and is taught at all four campuses, with fall and spring starts. Applicants need a Nursing Assistant credential, chemistry and entry test scores (for example Accuplacer 263, or an ACT composite of 22 with 18 in math), and are placed by space at their home campus. Simulation sessions are at the Shell Lake center. After the first two semesters students may sit the NCLEX-PN, an exit option rather than a separate program. The college says many students take three to four years.
HVAC/R in Superior
HVAC/R is a four-semester, 54-credit diploma with fall or spring starts, taught only in Superior. Courses include Heating System Applications, Refrigeration Applications and Building Automation Systems, and the program prepares students for EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification. Two diplomas sit inside it: Refrigeration Essentials after 14 credits and HVAC Installation Technician after 27, so a student who has to stop early still leaves with a credential. The program page lists about $914 in costs on top of tuition. The college’s survey of 2024-25 graduates found every responding HVAC/R graduate in the labor market employed.
Marine Repair Technician in Ashland
The 42-credit Marine Repair diploma takes three semesters, starting in fall or spring, in a 6,000-square-foot marine lab in Ashland. Courses include Outboard Motors, Inboard Transmission Systems and Marine Engine Computer Control Systems, with introductory manufacturer courses, and members of ABYC and the Wisconsin Marine Association support the program. A 14-credit Marine Repair Essentials certificate is embedded, and graduates can add the 6-credit Advanced Marine Repair certificate on engine rebuilding and systems. The program page names no certification students earn, and the tool list adds about $6,962.
Construction and Cabinetmaking in Rice Lake
This two-year, 57-credit diploma is taught face-to-face in Rice Lake. Courses include Cabinet and Furniture Making 1, Production Cabinetmaking and Advanced Construction Framing, a work-based learning course, and the Construction Essentials and Architectural Woodworking & Cabinetmaking diplomas are embedded. In the second-year Student House Project, the class frames, roofs and finishes a full house. No industry certification is named. Students who want a carpentry apprenticeship should note that the Carpentry Apprentice program is not taking applications.
Welding
The one-year, 32-credit Welding diploma is based on American Welding Society skill standards and runs at all four campuses, with day and evening sections at New Richmond and Superior. Students can earn embedded diplomas in shielded metal arc (7 credits), gas metal arc (7), flux-cored arc (6) and gas tungsten arc welding (8), plus Welding/Maintenance & Fabrication (14). Labs have a CNC plasma cutter, a robotic welder and a weld simulator, New Richmond’s lab was renovated in 2024, and a mobile welding lab trailer was launched that year. The college asks applicants to apply early.
2026-27 tuition and paying for it
| 2026-27, per credit (tuition and fees) | Rate |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin residents | $178.45 |
| Minnesota residents (reciprocity) | $178.45 |
| Gogebic County, Michigan, residents (reciprocity) | $178.45 |
| Other out-of-state students | $257.18 |
The rate combines WTCS tuition ($157.45 per credit for Wisconsin residents in career programs, set for 2026-27) with the statewide program and material fees and the board’s incidental fee. Transfer (AA/AS) courses cost more. Other charges include $50 for a challenge exam, $90 for a portfolio evaluation and background checks from $7. The college’s 2026-27 budget for a full-time, nine-month year is $12,342 for a student living away from home and $8,498 for one living with parents; we found no college housing. Niche, drawing on federal data, shows a net price of $9,016 a year (checked 7 October 2026).
Northwood takes federal aid (school code 011824) and says more than 70% of current students receive some aid. Several short programs are not aid-eligible: Truck Driving, Nursing Assistant, EMT, Phlebotomy, Pharmacy Technician, the Plumbing Apprentice, CNC Technician, Mechatronics Basics, Business Administration Specialist and Advanced Marine Repair. The Northwood Tech Promise Scholarship covers the tuition and fees left after federal grants, state grants and Foundation scholarships, for up to four terms, for 2027 high-school, GED or home-school graduates who are Wisconsin residents, Pell-eligible and enrolled full-time in an aid-eligible program; the deadline is 15 May 2027. Veterans have a veteran services coordinator at each campus, priority registration and help with GI Bill benefits, and the college was named Military Friendly Silver for 2025-26.
Admissions and schedules
Admission to the college is open, and the program pages say it can be completed in one visit. Some programs are harder to get into. Nursing admits by space at each campus and has entry requirements; occupational therapy assistant and welding are flagged “high demand – apply early”; the Law Enforcement Academy needs DOJ eligibility checks and a physical readiness test; and Surgical Technology, Plumbing and Electrical need an employer sponsor first. Machine Tooling Technics in New Richmond is not taking applications for 2026-27, and the Carpentry Apprentice is closed to applications.
Classes are offered on-site, online, “Online Live” (real-time classes over the internet), “Your Choice” (attend live or remotely) and hybrid. Truck Driving starts four times a year, Phlebotomy meets on evenings and Saturdays, Medical Assistant students are on campus two or three days a week, and the Paramedic Technician degree has a part-time evening and weekend option.
Accreditation and graduate results
Northwood has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1979. After a September 2022 visit found the core component on faculty and staff “Met With Concerns”, covering faculty qualification rules and keeping licences current, HLC reaffirmed accreditation with monitoring in January 2023. HLC accepted an interim report on faculty issues in February 2024 and one on governance in January 2025. An Assurance Review is scheduled for 28 June 2027, with embedded monitoring on assessment and program review, and the next reaffirmation is due in 2032-33. Monitoring is not a sanction such as probation, but it is not a clean reaffirmation either.
The college reports a 54.8% three-year graduation rate for program students who started in 2022 (its own definition; Niche, checked 7 October 2026, shows 61%, apparently the federal rate and a different measure). In its follow-up survey of 2024-25 graduates, 972 of 1,355 responded; 91% were employed or continuing their education, 90% of those in the labor market had jobs, and the average full-time salary in a related job was $57,166.
Program pages report these first-time exam results: occupational therapy assistant 94% on the NBCOT exam (30 of 32, 2023–2025), veterinary technician 89.47% on the VTNE (38 candidates, 2023–2025), medical assistant 95% on the AAMA CMA exam (57 of 60, 2022–2024) and EMT-Paramedic 95% on the NREMT for the 2021 cohort. The college does not publish an NCLEX-RN pass rate for its nursing graduates, and surgical technology, laboratory, health information, dental and pharmacy pages give no pass rates either.
Before you enroll
- Your campus decides your options. HVAC/R is taught only in Superior, veterinary technology, diesel and surgical technology only in New Richmond, marine repair only in Ashland and the police academy only in Rice Lake. Health students also travel to Shell Lake for simulation.
- The lab technician program is not yet accredited. Medical Laboratory Technician is “seeking NAACLS accreditation”, and the college says only that graduates “may be eligible” for the ASCP certification exam.
- Trades apprenticeships need a job first. Electrical, Plumbing and Surgical Technology are registered apprenticeships; you need a sponsoring employer before you can enroll. There is no open-enrollment electrician or plumbing diploma.
- Studying online from outside Wisconsin or Minnesota? The college’s licensure disclosures rate its programs only for those two states and list every other state as “Not Determined”, so check before enrolling in a program that leads to a licence.
- HLC is still monitoring the college. The 2023 reaffirmation came with monitoring, and an Assurance Review is due on 28 June 2027.
Campuses and other sites
- Rice Lake (1900 College Drive): main campus and general contact address; police academy, construction, woodworking, automotive technician and electrical apprenticeship.
- New Richmond (1019 S. Knowles Ave.): veterinary technician, surgical technology, laboratory technician, diesel, agricultural equipment and automation.
- Superior (600 N. 21st St.): HVAC/R, industrial maintenance, automotive service and small engines.
- Ashland (2100 Beaser Ave.): marine repair and machine tool operation; renovation scheduled for summer 2026.
- Other sites: the Health Education Center in Shell Lake (simulation for health programs; the district board often meets there), the Balsam Lake Outreach Center, and Workforce Accelerators in Hayward and Ladysmith, which offer GED/HSED, adult education and mobile training rather than full programs.
Simulation, testing and veteran support
The Health Education Center in Shell Lake gives nursing, dental, medical assisting and occupational therapy assistant students simulation labs with standardized patients. IT students can take certification exams at on-campus Pearson VUE test centers and practice on Netlab equipment pods around the clock, and Architectural Commercial Design students borrow laptops with the design software. Built-in work experience includes fieldwork in the occupational therapy assistant program, a 100-hour phlebotomy clinical, a health information practicum and paid surgical technology apprenticeships with hospitals. Free GED, HSED and adult basic education classes run at Balsam Lake, Hayward and Ladysmith. Each campus has a veteran services coordinator, and Superior has a Veterans Resource Room.
What students say on Niche
On Niche, Northwood Tech has 4.05 out of 5 from 197 reviews and an overall grade of A minus (checked 7 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise caring instructors, small classes and personal attention, free tutoring and affordable tuition with helpful aid staff, and they single out the nursing program and hands-on labs such as welding. The main complaints are slow communication from some instructors, especially in online courses, and thin support for some nursing students during high-stress stretches. Niche’s theme summaries are machine-generated and we could not check review dates, so treat these as a rough guide. Trustpilot and GradReports have no Northwood page.
Sources
Checked 7 October 2026: Campuses · Degree programs and certificates · Tuition and fees 2026-27 · Institutional data · 2024-25 Graduate Follow-Up Report · HLC accreditation status · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health Sciences
- Nursing – Associate Degree (RN)
- Nursing Assistant
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Surgical Technology (apprenticeship; employer sponsor needed)
- Medical Laboratory Technician (seeking NAACLS accreditation)
- Medical Assistant
- Pharmacy Technician
- Phlebotomy
- Personal Care Worker, Dementia Care and Gerontology certificates
Emergency Medical Services
- Emergency Medical Technician
- Advanced EMT
- EMT-Paramedic
- Paramedic Technician
Dental
- Dental Assistant
- Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary
Veterinary
- Veterinary Technician
- Veterinary Assistant
Health Information and Medical Office
- Health Information Technology
- Medical Coding Specialist
- Medical Billing Specialist
- Medical Administrative Professional
- Health Office Professional
- Healthcare Receptionist
- Billing and Posting Clerk
Transportation, Automotive and Marine
- Truck Driving – CDL A
- Diesel Equipment Technician
- Agricultural Power and Equipment Technician
- Automotive Technician
- Automotive Service Technician
- Marine Repair Technician
- Advanced Marine Repair Technician
- Power Sports Technician
- Small Engine Repair Specialist
Construction and Building Trades
- Construction and Cabinetmaking
- Architectural Woodworking & Cabinetmaking
- Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning / Refrigeration (HVAC/R)
- HVAC Installation Technician
- Refrigeration Essentials
Manufacturing and Welding
- Welding
- Automated Packaging Systems Technician
- Mechatronics Basics
- Automation for Industrial Systems
- Industrial Systems Specialist
- Industrial Maintenance Technician
- CNC Technician
- Machine Tool Operation
- Machine Tool Operation – CNC
- Machine Tool Technician
Apprenticeships (employer sponsor needed)
- Electrical Construction Apprentice
- Plumbing Apprentice
- Maintenance Mechanic/Millwright Apprentice
- Injection Mold Set-Up (Plastic) Apprentice
- Technical Studies – Journeyworker
Public Safety and Human Services
- Criminal Justice – Law Enforcement 720 Academy
- Criminal Justice Studies
- Human Services Associate
- Substance Abuse Education
Business
- Accounting
- Accounting Assistant
- Tax Preparer Assistant
- Business Management
- Business Administration Specialist
- Customer Service Manager
- Financial Services
- Human Resource Management
- Human Resources and Payroll Generalist
- Administrative Coordinator
- Office Support Specialist
- Supervisory Leadership
IT and Design
- IT – Cybersecurity Specialist
- IT – Systems Administration Specialist
- IT – Web and Software Developer
- Drafting Technician
- Architectural Commercial Design
Education
- Early Childhood Education
- Preschool Education Professional
Cosmetology
- Cosmetology
- Cosmetology Apprentice
Agriculture
- Farm Operation
- Crop Production
- Livestock Production
- Agricultural Business Fundamentals
Shared and Transfer Programs
- Funeral Service (first year at Northwood; degree from Milwaukee Area Technical College)
- University Transfer – Associate of Arts / Associate of Science
Campus Locations
Rice Lake, WI 1900 College Drive, Rice Lake, WI 54868
New Richmond, WI 1019 S. Knowles Ave., New Richmond, WI 54017
Superior, WI 600 N. 21st St., Superior, WI 54880
Ashland, WI 2100 Beaser Ave., Ashland, WI 54806