| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private for-profit healthcare training school; in-person classes |
| Campus | 1, in Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Programs | Nursing assistant and phlebotomy technician certificates; CPR/First Aid course |
| Length | 4 weeks per certificate program |
| Credentials | Certificates (no degrees) |
| Exams | Minnesota nursing assistant competency test; NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) |
| Accreditation | None |
| Federal aid | None mentioned by the school |
| Cost | $1,000 (nursing assistant) or $1,800 (phlebotomy), books and first exam attempt included |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Two four-week healthcare certificates in Northeast Minneapolis
Pathway Careers Training Center is a private for-profit school in Northeast Minneapolis that teaches two short healthcare programs: nursing assistant and phlebotomy technician. Each runs for four weeks in person and ends with a certificate of completion and a first attempt at the matching exam, which is included in the price. It also runs an American Heart Association CPR/First Aid course.
The school writes its name as “Pathway Careers Training Center”; the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) lists it as “Pathways Career Training Center”. It has no institutional accreditation and publishes no completion, placement or exam pass rates, and its prices include books and the first exam attempt.
Programs and the exams they lead to
| Program | Credential | Length | Delivery | Prepares for | Price (school, Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing Assistant (CNA) | Certificate of completion | 4 weeks; 120 hours of instruction and clinical training | In person, Minneapolis | Minnesota nursing assistant competency test and the Nurse Aide Registry | $1,000 |
| Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) | Certificate | 4 weeks; 80 hours of applied practice | In person, Minneapolis | NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) exam | $1,800 |
| CPR/First Aid | American Heart Association course card | – | In person, Minneapolis | – | – |
Nursing Assistant
The 120 hours combine theory, hands-on lab practice and clinical training; the school does not say how the hours are split or who arranges the clinical site. Graduates take Minnesota’s nursing assistant competency test, which leads to listing on the state Nurse Aide Registry. Applicants must be 18 or older, hold a high-school diploma or GED, agree to a background check and show a negative TB test or chest X-ray.
Phlebotomy Technician
The program is built around 80 hours of applied practice in drawing blood by vacuum (venipuncture) and skin-puncture methods. Before finishing, each student must complete at least 30 successful unaided venipunctures and 10 unaided capillary collections. It prepares students for the Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) exam of the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). The NHA certifies the person who passes the exam; it does not certify or accredit training programs. Applicants must be 18 or older with a high-school diploma or GED.
$1,000 or $1,800, with the first exam attempt included
The school’s certifications page lists $1,000 for the nursing assistant program and $1,800 for phlebotomy (checked October 2026; the page carries no date or academic year). Each price covers the four weeks of training, the first attempt at the certification exam and the required books and materials. The CPR/First Aid price, registration fees, payment plans and the cost of scrubs or the background check are not listed.
The school mentions no federal student aid, GI Bill approval or scholarships.
Admissions and start dates
Both certificate programs require applicants to be at least 18 with a high-school diploma or GED; nursing assistant applicants also need the background check and TB test described above. The school says it always has classes starting for new students, so enrollment is effectively rolling. It describes the programs as “built around your schedule” but does not list day, evening or weekend class times; ask for them before you sign up.
No accreditation, and state approvals to confirm
The school has no institutional accreditation. It says its nursing assistant program is certified through the State of Minnesota and regulated by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). We could not confirm an MDH listing for the program, so check the program on MDH’s nursing assistant training program directory before you pay.
OHE has an institution page for the school, but we could not find the school on OHE’s list of licensed career schools (checked October 2026). Ask the school whether it holds an OHE license or an exemption from licensing.
The school publishes no completion, job placement or exam pass rates. MDH publishes quarterly and year-end nursing assistant test-result spreadsheets on its test data page; we could not read them, so check whether this school appears there, and with what pass rate, before enrolling.
Before you enroll
- Confirm the nursing assistant program’s MDH approval and the school’s OHE license or exemption yourself; neither could be confirmed from public lists in October 2026.
- There are no published outcomes. For the nursing assistant program, MDH’s test data may be the only independent check, if the school appears in it.
- Minnesota does not license phlebotomists; the program prepares for the NHA CPT exam, and only the first exam attempt is included in the $1,800.
- Ask who arranges the nursing assistant clinical placement and when it is scheduled, since the school does not say.
Our view
The school’s selling points are the four-week format and prices that include books and the first exam attempt. The missing accreditation, the lack of published results and the approvals we could not confirm mean it is worth checking the state listings above, and comparing pass rates with other Twin Cities programs, before paying.
One campus on Central Avenue NE
All classes are taught at 2336 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. We found no other campuses and no online programs.
What students say
We found no review platform with 25 or more reviews of the school (checked October 2026), so we give no rating or summary.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Healthcare certificates (4 weeks)
- Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Phlebotomy Technician (CPT)
Short courses
- CPR/First Aid (American Heart Association)
Campus Locations
Minneapolis, MN 2336 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418