| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public county career and technical center run by Putnam County Schools; mainly high school, with a small adult (ACE) division |
| Location | 1 campus: Eleanor, WV; Heavy Equipment Operator trains at an extension site in Buffalo, WV |
| Adult credentials | 3 certificates: Practical Nursing, Medical Assisting (also by distance learning), Heavy Equipment Operator |
| Typical length | 675 clock hours (Medical Assisting) to one to under two years (Practical Nursing) |
| Accreditation | Council on Occupational Education; Practical Nursing accredited by the West Virginia LPN Board |
| Federal aid | Yes: Pell grants (OPE ID 03098300); no students took federal loans in 2023-24 |
| Adult students | 27, all full-time (IPEDS, fall 2024) |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
A county career center with three adult programs
Putnam Career & Technical Center (PCTC) in Eleanor is the career and technical center of Putnam County Schools. Most of its students are county high-school students, whose programs run under West Virginia’s Simulated Workplace model. Its adult division, called ACE (Advanced Career Education), offers three certificates that qualify for federal aid: Practical Nursing, Medical Assisting and Heavy Equipment Operator. Medical Assisting can also be taken by distance learning, and Heavy Equipment Operator trains at an extension site in Buffalo, WV. In fall 2024 IPEDS counted 27 adult students, all full-time. In September 2025 the West Virginia Department of Education named PCTC one of the state’s top five career centers in its Pinnacle Awards.
Adult programs at PCTC
| Program | Credential and length | Delivery | Where | Exam or license |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing | Certificate, 1 to under 2 years | On campus, with clinical training | Eleanor, WV | NCLEX-PN (West Virginia LPN license) |
| Medical Assisting | Certificate, 675 clock hours | On campus or distance learning | Eleanor, WV | Certification exam not confirmed |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | Certificate, under 1 year | In person | Buffalo, WV extension site | Credential not confirmed |
PCTC also runs trade and health programs for Putnam County high-school students, among them automotive technology, carpentry, collision repair, dental assisting, diesel equipment, electrical, HVAC, masonry, plumbing and welding. The school’s menu marks these as open to adults too, but IPEDS lists only the three adult certificates above, and we could not confirm any adult length, price or credential for the trade courses. Adults interested in a trade should ask the center whether a seat is open to them.
What the adult programs cover
Practical Nursing
Practical Nursing is the only adult program with its own state accreditation. The West Virginia State Board of Examiners for Licensed Practical Nurses lists PCTC’s School of Practical Nursing as fully accredited, which is an approval of the program rather than of the whole school; the program is not ACEN-accredited. IPEDS classes it as a certificate of one to under two years, with clinical training. Graduates sit the NCLEX-PN exam for a West Virginia LPN license. It is a small program: five students completed it in 2023-24.
Medical Assisting
Medical Assisting is the center’s largest adult program, accounting for 31 of its 53 adult certificates in 2023-24. It takes 675 clock hours, which IPEDS places in its 12-week to under-one-year range, and is offered two ways: in person at Eleanor or as a distance-learning course, the only PCTC program offered at a distance. We found no CAAHEP or ABHES programmatic accreditation and could not confirm which certification exam it prepares for, so ask which exam, such as the CCMA or RMA, the course prepares you for.
Heavy Equipment Operator
Heavy Equipment Operator is the one adult program taught away from Eleanor, at PCTC’s ACE extension site in Buffalo, WV. IPEDS lists it as a certificate of under one year but files it under heavy equipment maintenance technology, while the school calls it an operator program. Ask whether the course centers on running machines, maintaining them or both, how long it lasts, and which credential you leave with. Seventeen adults completed it in 2023-24, making it the second-largest adult program.
What adult programs cost, and how students pay
PCTC charges one flat price per program, not per credit, and publishes no in-county, in-state or out-of-state rates. We found no published 2026-27 prices. The latest available figures are the 2024-25 whole-program prices PCTC reported to the federal IPEDS survey, as shown on College Navigator; confirm current prices with the adult office before you enroll.
| Program | Tuition and fees, whole program (2024-25) | Books and supplies (2024-25) |
|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing | $4,050 | About $3,000 |
| Medical Assisting | $2,025 | About $500 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | $1,800 | About $1,000 |
PCTC takes federal Pell grants. In 2023-24, 51% of its adult students received a Pell grant and none took out federal student loans, according to IPEDS. IPEDS says eligible students may also receive other federal aid such as Direct Loans, but none were disbursed that year, so ask the adult office whether loans are offered.
Applying as an adult
IPEDS lists PCTC as open admission, and the school uses a separate application for adults and for high-school students. We could not confirm entrance tests, Practical Nursing prerequisites or start dates, so ask the adult office (304-586-3494) about each before you apply.
Accreditation and results
PCTC has been accredited by the Council on Occupational Education since 22 February 2016, with its next review due by 31 December 2027, according to IPEDS; we found no sanctions. Practical Nursing appears on the West Virginia LPN Board’s list of accredited schools dated 22 October 2024. PCTC is approved for federal student aid.
IPEDS reports an 84% graduation rate for full-time, first-time adult students who started in 2021-22, counting those who finished within 150% of the normal program length, and 100% retention from fall 2023 to fall 2024. Adult students earned 53 certificates in 2023-24: 31 in Medical Assisting, 17 in Heavy Equipment Operator and 5 in Practical Nursing. We found no published NCLEX-PN pass rate, and the state board’s list gives none.
Before you enroll
- PCTC is mainly a high-school center. Its trade programs are run for high-school students, and we could not confirm an adult schedule, price or credential for them.
- We found no published NCLEX-PN pass rate, and with five Practical Nursing completers in 2023-24 any rate would rest on a very small group.
- We found no published 2026-27 prices. The figures above are for 2024-25 and may have changed.
- The distance-learning Medical Assisting course is run by a West Virginia county school system, and every adult student IPEDS counted in fall 2024 was a West Virginia resident. Students outside the state should ask whether they can enroll.
- Heavy Equipment Operator meets in Buffalo, not Eleanor, and we could not confirm which credential it leads to.
Career help and housing
PCTC has no campus housing. The school runs a SkillsUSA chapter, named a 2026 Chapter Model of Excellence, and keeps an alumni contact page, but we found no published job placement service or placement rates.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Adult programs (ACE)
- Practical Nursing
- Medical Assisting
- Medical Assisting (Distance Learning)
- Heavy Equipment Operator (Buffalo, WV extension site)
High-school career programs (adults: ask whether a seat is open)
- Automotive Technology
- Carpentry
- Collision Repair Technology
- Dental Assisting
- Diesel Equipment Technology
- Electrical Technician
- HVAC Technician
- Masonry
- Plumbing
- Welding
- PLTW Computer Science
Campus Locations
Eleanor, WV 300 Roosevelt Blvd., Eleanor, WV 25070