| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year technical and community college in the Minnesota State system; campus-based, with some programs fully online |
| Campus | 1 (St. Cloud, Minnesota); an aircraft maintenance hangar at St. Cloud Sky Central Airport is expected by summer 2027 |
| Credentials | Associate degrees (AAS, AS, AA), diplomas and certificates; more than 75 degree and certificate options |
| Typical length | One semester (EMT) to 81-83 credits (Dental Hygiene, Electrical, Aircraft Maintenance AAS) |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission since 1985; Standard Pathway |
| Federal aid | Yes |
| 2026-27 cost | $224.67 per credit with fees for Minnesota residents and veterans, $264.43 for non-residents; program rates up to $334.67 |
| Students | About 5,542 in 2024-25; 72% part-time |
| Founded | 1948, as Minnesota’s second technical college |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
SCTCC: a public two-year college with one St. Cloud campus
St. Cloud Technical and Community College, known as SCTCC, is a public two-year college and one of the 33 colleges and universities in Minnesota State, the state’s public higher-education system. It was founded in 1948 as Minnesota’s second technical college, and all of its in-person programs are taught on one campus on Northway Drive in St. Cloud.
About 5,542 students took classes in 2024-25, including 892 high-school students earning college credit through Minnesota’s PSEO program, and 72% studied part-time. The college lists more than 75 degree and certificate options, from a one-semester EMT certificate to health, trade and aircraft degrees of 81 to 83 credits, plus transfer degrees. Its newest program, Aircraft Maintenance Technician, received FAA approval in March 2026 and takes its first students in fall 2026.
Health, trade and business programs at SCTCC
The table shows the main career programs. Costs are the college’s own 2026-27 estimates for the whole program, covering tuition, fees, books and supplies; the college says they are estimates and subject to change.
| Program | Credential | Length / schedule | Prepares for | College’s 2026-27 estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing (LPN) | Diploma, 40 credits | Full- or part-time | NCLEX-PN | $14,884 |
| Nursing – LPN to ADN Mobility (RN) | AS, 64 credits | Two nursing semesters; Minnesota LPN licence required | NCLEX-RN | $21,248 |
| Dental Hygiene | AAS, 81 credits | – | National Board Dental Hygiene Exam and a clinical board | $29,644 |
| Dental Assistant | AAS, 60 credits; diploma, 53 | – | Minnesota state board exams (licensed dental assistant) | $18,940 / $17,074 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography – Generalist | AAS, 70 credits | – | ARDMS RDMS (abdomen, OB/GYN) | $25,742 |
| Surgical Technology | AAS, 60 credits | – | Certified Surgical Technologist exam | $19,828 |
| Paramedicine | AAS, 60 credits | 14 months, class one day a week | National registry paramedic exam | $17,565 |
| Emergency Medical Technician | Certificate, 9 credits | One semester; fall and spring starts | Minnesota and National Registry EMT | $3,200 (two courses) |
| Electrical Construction Technology | AAS, 81 credits; diploma, 72 | Fall start | 2,000 hours toward the Class A Journeyworker exam | $23,568 / $21,011 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration | Commercial AAS, 72; Commercial diploma, 66; Residential diploma, 35 | Fall start | – | $21,301 / $19,543 / $11,273 |
| Plumbing | Diploma, 37 credits; Shop Management AAS, 60 | Fall start | 875 hours toward the Journeyworker Plumber exam | $11,258 / $17,700 |
| Welding/Fabrication | Diploma, 37 credits | Fall or spring start | AWS D1.1 and D1.3 bend tests | $12,064 |
| CNC Machinist | Diploma, 39 credits; certificates of 13 and 26 | – | – | $10,877 (diploma) |
| Carpentry | Diploma, 33 credits | – | Entry as an advanced apprentice | $11,018 |
| Aircraft Maintenance Technician | AAS, 83 credits; diploma, 68 | First students fall 2026 | FAA-approved program | – |
| Computer Programming | AAS, 60 credits | 100% online | – | $15,230 |
| IT – Cybersecurity or Network Administration | AAS, 60 credits each | On-campus labs | – | $15,030 |
Programmatic accreditation, as the college lists it: ACEN for Practical Nursing; NLN CNEA for the LPN to ADN degree; Minnesota Board of Nursing approval for both; CODA for Dental Assistant and Dental Hygiene, with full approval until the next visit in 2029; and CAAHEP for Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Cardiovascular Technology, Surgical Technology and Paramedicine. Health Information Technology is accredited by CAHIIM, the automotive, auto body and medium/heavy truck programs by the ASE Education Foundation, and Welding/Fabrication is an AWS SENSE program.
SCTCC has no direct-entry RN program: the only route to an RN licence here starts with an LPN licence. Land Surveying/Civil Engineering trains surveying, civil engineering and CAD technicians; the college does not describe it as a path to a land surveyor licence.
What the main programs cover
Practical Nursing (LPN)
The Practical Nursing diploma is 40 credits, and a part-time version has the same credit total. Students are admitted through Pre-Practical Nursing rather than straight into the nursing courses. ACEN accredits the program and the Minnesota Board of Nursing approves it; ACEN’s continuing-accreditation visit was scheduled for 29 September 2026, and its decision has not been published. Graduates sit the NCLEX-PN for a practical nursing licence and can then apply to the college’s LPN to ADN degree.
Nursing – LPN to ADN Mobility (RN)
This 64-credit Associate of Science is open only to students with a current Minnesota LPN licence. Before applying they need anatomy and physiology I and II, microbiology, nutrition and communication, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in those courses. The nursing part is two semesters of NURS courses worth 24 credits, and the LPN licence earns 9 credits of advanced standing. NLN CNEA accredits the degree, and the Minnesota Board of Nursing approves it. It prepares graduates for the NCLEX-RN.
Dental Hygiene and Dental Assistant
Dental Hygiene is an 81-credit AAS, and admission is selective, with its own application steps. The college runs the SCTCC Dental Clinic on campus, and graduates sit the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and a clinical board exam. Dental Assistant is a separate 60-credit AAS or 53-credit diploma that prepares students for the Minnesota state board exams to become licensed dental assistants. CODA last visited both programs in February 2022 and gave them full approval until its next visit in 2029.
Paramedicine and EMT
Paramedicine is a 60-credit AAS that the college says leads to paramedic certification in 14 months. Class meets one day a week, and clinical shifts are arranged around each student’s schedule. A current EMT certification is required to start. The program is accredited by CAAHEP on the recommendation of CoAEMSP and recognised by the Minnesota Office of EMS. Students who are not yet EMTs can begin with the 9-credit EMT certificate, which takes one semester, starts every fall and spring, and stacks into the degree.
Electrical Construction Technology
The program is an 81-credit AAS or a 72-credit diploma, and the Minnesota State Board of Electricity recognises it for credit toward the electrician licence. The Department of Labor and Industry counts 2,000 hours of the schooling toward the 8,000 hours of experience needed to apply for the Class A Journeyworker exam, so graduates still need 6,000 hours on the job. Students apply in mid-September for classes starting the following fall, and the college says a waitlist is likely, so apply early.
Welding/Fabrication
The 37-credit diploma covers shielded metal arc (SMAW), oxy-fuel welding and brazing, gas metal arc (GMAW), flux-cored (FCAW) and gas tungsten arc (GTAW) welding, plus plasma and robotic welding. Students weld in all positions and take guided bend tests to the American Welding Society’s D1.1 structural steel and D1.3 sheet steel codes. The college is an AWS SENSE school. Classes start in fall or spring, and the college warns that a waitlist is possible.
Tuition and how students pay
SCTCC charges by the credit, and the 2026-27 rates below include $25.86 per credit in mandatory fees (student life, technology, health services, parking and the state student association). There is no in-district rate, and non-residents pay more than Minnesotans unless the North Dakota or Manitoba reciprocity agreement applies. Many career programs carry their own higher rate.
| 2026-27, per credit, tuition plus fees | Amount |
|---|---|
| Minnesota residents and veterans (also North Dakota and Manitoba reciprocity) | $224.67 |
| Wisconsin reciprocity | $253.49 |
| Non-residents (also Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Ohio under MSEP) | $264.43 |
| Online courses, residents | $231.17 |
| Trades and culinary programs | $259.67 |
| Health sciences programs | $266.67 |
| Practical Nursing and ADN | $283.72 |
| Aircraft Maintenance Technician | $334.67 |
Minnesota State gives SCTCC’s 2026-27 cost for 30 resident credits as $6,740. Minnesota residents aged 62 and over pay a $20 per credit administrative fee plus fees. The college’s tuition page does not say how the program rates apply to non-residents, so ask before enrolling. SCTCC takes federal student aid, and Niche puts the average net price at $8,948 a year. Veterans pay the resident rate. The program cost sheet lists the college’s estimate for each program.
Open admission, with separate steps for health programs and waitlists in the trades
Most programs admit any applicant who completes the general admission steps. Practical Nursing, the LPN to ADN degree, Dental Hygiene, Dental Assistant, Sonography and Surgical Technology have their own admission processes: Practical Nursing starts with Pre-Practical Nursing, and the ADN needs a Minnesota LPN licence and a 3.0 GPA in its prerequisites.
The electrical, HVAC, plumbing and welding programs ask students to apply in mid-September for the following fall and complete placement requirements first, and waitlists are common. Welding also starts in spring, and EMT starts every fall and spring. Computer Programming, Finance and Medical Coding are taught fully online, and Accounting, the Associate of Arts and several transfer pathways have a 100% online option. SCTCC has taken part in NC-SARA since May 2015, so out-of-state students can take its online programs, but students outside Minnesota should check the college’s professional licensure disclosure: Surgical Technology’s covers Minnesota only, and the LPN to ADN degree meets RN rules in 16 states.
Accreditation and results
SCTCC has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1985 and is on HLC’s Standard Pathway. Licensure results for its nursing programs come from the Minnesota Board of Nursing; the other results below are the college’s own reports.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| LPN to ADN, first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 83.67% of 49 candidates (Minnesota ADN 81.74%, US ADN 86.05%) | 2025, Minnesota Board of Nursing |
| LPN to ADN, first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 97.44% of 39 candidates (Minnesota ADN 88.86%); 92.86% in 2023 and 95.56% in 2022 | 2022-2024, Minnesota Board of Nursing |
| Practical Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 75.53% of 94 candidates (Minnesota 86.12%, US 86.60%) | 2025, Minnesota Board of Nursing |
| Practical Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 89.33% of 75 candidates (Minnesota 87.55%) | 2024, Minnesota Board of Nursing |
| Dental Hygiene, licensure exams | 100% each year (13, 13 and 14 graduates) | 2021-22 to 2023-24, college job placement and licensure report, March 2025 |
| Sonography, ARDMS RDMS exams | 100%: abdomen 9 of 9, OB/GYN 7 of 7 | 2023 graduates, program’s annual report to its accreditor |
| Surgical Technology, first-time CST exam | 83.3% (15 of 18); 68% the year before | August 2023 to July 2024, program’s 2025 annual report |
| Paramedicine, first-time national registry exam | 50%; 68% in 2024, 75% in 2023, 58% in 2022 | 2025, college program page |
| Job placement, all programs | 98% of graduates available for work in their field found jobs in it | 2024 graduates, self-reported up to one year after graduation, college Fast Facts |
The college’s 98% placement figure for 2024 is the share of graduates who found jobs in their field, from graduates’ own reports up to one year after graduation, and it counts only graduates available for work in their field, so it is not a share of all graduates. Program pages show 100% for most programs, but IT – Cybersecurity and Network Administration reported 73%.
Before you enroll
- There is no direct-entry RN program. To become an RN at SCTCC you need a Minnesota LPN licence first, then the LPN to ADN degree.
- Practical Nursing graduates passed the NCLEX-PN on the first try at 75.53% in 2025, about 10 points below the Minnesota average of 86.12%, after 89.33% in 2024.
- Paramedicine’s first-time national registry pass rate was 50% in 2025 and has been between 50% and 75% each year since 2022.
- The $224.67 resident rate is not what many career students pay: trades and culinary courses are $259.67 per credit, nursing $283.72 and aircraft maintenance $334.67, and books and supplies add $8,044 to the college’s Dental Hygiene estimate.
- Land Surveying/Civil Engineering trains technicians. The college does not present it as a route to a Minnesota land surveyor licence.
One campus on Northway Drive
Every in-person program is taught at 1540 Northway Drive, St. Cloud, MN 56303. Clinical and externship sites such as hospitals and dental offices are not separate campuses. The Aircraft Maintenance Technician program starts in a converted campus lab in fall 2026, and a hangar of about 30,000 square feet at St. Cloud Sky Central Airport is expected by summer 2027.
Clinicals and the on-campus dental clinic
Nursing, dental, sonography, surgical technology and paramedic students complete clinicals or externships at outside sites, and paramedic clinicals are arranged around each student’s schedule. The college also runs the SCTCC Dental Clinic on campus.
What students say
On Niche, St. Cloud Technical and Community College is rated 3.95 out of 5 from 266 reviews, with an overall grade of B− (checked 11 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise responsive advisors, caring professors, the choice of in-person, online and hybrid classes, tutoring through the Center for Academic Success, and hands-on clinical and field work in programs such as nursing and paramedicine. The most common complaints are uneven teaching quality, a small library, parking during construction and little sense of community, especially for online students. The reviews cover the whole college, Niche is the only platform we checked, and we could not tell whether reviews were invited by the school or posted in bursts.
Sources
Checked October 2026: SCTCC tuition and fees 2026-27 · 2026-27 program costs · Accreditation · Fast Facts · Minnesota Board of Nursing NCLEX-RN results 2022-2025 · Minnesota Board of Nursing NCLEX-PN results 2022-2025 · Minnesota State tuition comparison · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Practical Nursing (LPN)
- Nursing – LPN to ADN Mobility (RN)
- Nursing Assistant (single course)
Dental and Imaging
- Dental Assistant
- Dental Hygiene
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography – Generalist
- Adult Echocardiography
- Cardiovascular Technology
Surgical and Emergency Care
- Surgical Technology
- Paramedicine
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
Health Information
- Health Information Technology
- Medical Coding (online)
Construction Trades
- Electrical Construction Technology
- Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
- Plumbing
- Carpentry
- Architectural Construction Technology
- Land Surveying/Civil Engineering
- Water Environment Technologies
Manufacturing
- Welding/Fabrication
- CNC and Advanced Machining
- Mechatronics
- Instrumentation & Process Control
Transportation Technology
- Aircraft Maintenance Technician (new in 2026)
- Automotive Service Technician
- Auto Body Collision Technician
- Diesel (Medium/Heavy) Truck Technician
Culinary
- Culinary Arts
Business
- Accounting
- Finance (online)
- Marketing Sales Management
- Marketing and Design
- Business Management
- Farm Business Management
Computers and IT
- Computer Programming (online)
- IT – Cybersecurity
- IT – Network Administration
Education and Transfer
- Early Childhood Education
- Associate of Arts and transfer pathways
Campus Locations
St. Cloud, MN 1540 Northway Drive, St. Cloud, MN 56303