| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year technical college; campus-based, in-person and hybrid programs (Accounting also online) |
| Sites | 7, all in western Wisconsin: La Crosse (main campus), Black River Falls, Independence, Mauston, Tomah, Viroqua and the Sparta Public Safety Training Facility |
| District | All or part of 11 counties, from La Crosse and Monroe to Vernon, Juneau and Jackson |
| Credentials | Associate degrees (AAS; AA/AS for transfer), technical diplomas, certificates and apprenticeship instruction |
| Programs | 95 on the college’s program list (October 2026) |
| Typical length | From a 2-credit Nursing Assistant diploma to associate degrees of 60 to 66 credits |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission; reaffirmed 6 January 2025, next reaffirmation 2034-35, no stipulations |
| Federal aid | Yes, for most programs; several short diplomas and certificates are not aid-eligible |
| 2026-27 tuition | $157.45 per credit for Wisconsin residents in career programs; $236.18 for non-residents |
| Students | 2,911 full-time-equivalent students (2025 actual, college budget); 14,438 individual students including non-credit (2023 Fact Book) |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Western Technical College: La Crosse’s public technical college
Western Technical College, usually called Western, is the public technical college for all or part of 11 counties in western Wisconsin. It is one of the 16 colleges of the Wisconsin Technical College System and is run by its own district board; the WTCS Board approves its programs and sets tuition, so its per-credit tuition is the same as at the other Wisconsin technical colleges.
Most of its 95 programs are taught only at the main campus in La Crosse. The five regional sites mainly teach Nursing Assistant, EMT and general education, although the RN degree is also taught at Black River Falls and Mauston and Clinical Medical Assistant only at Tomah. Paramedic training is based at the Sparta Public Safety Training Facility. Two recent changes matter for health students: Respiratory Therapy is under review and not accepting applications, and Western no longer lists a Practical Nursing (LPN) program.
Programs, and where each is taught
The table shows Western’s main career programs. Cost estimates are the college’s own figures for tuition and basic program fees for the whole program (checked October 2026); books, materials and testing are extra.
| Program | Credential | Delivery and start | Where | Accreditation / exam | College’s estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (RN) | AAS, 66 credits | In person | La Crosse, Black River Falls, Mauston | ACEN; NCLEX-RN | $11,668 |
| Nursing Assistant | Diploma, 2 credits (81 hours) | – | All sites except Sparta | Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry exam | $354 |
| Emergency Medical Technician | Diploma, 7 credits (252 hours) | Hybrid, one term | All 7 sites | NREMT, then Wisconsin license | $1,238 |
| EMT-Paramedic | Diploma, 39 credits | In person, fall | Sparta | CAAHEP | $6,895 |
| Paramedic Technician | AAS, 62 credits | In person, fall | Sparta | CAAHEP | $10,961 |
| Medical Assistant | Diploma, 28 credits | Hybrid, fall | La Crosse | CAAHEP | $4,950 |
| Clinical Medical Assistant | Diploma, 24 credits | Hybrid, fall | Tomah only | – | $4,243 |
| Dental Assistant | Diploma, 34 credits | In person, summer | La Crosse (Health Science Center) | CODA; DANB | $6,011 |
| Medical Lab Technician | AAS, 65 credits | In person | La Crosse (Health Science Center) | NAACLS; ASCP BOC | $11,491 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | AAS, 65 credits | In person, summer | La Crosse (Health Science Center) | ACOTE; NBCOT | $11,491 |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | AAS, 65 credits | In person | La Crosse (Health Science Center) | CAPTE; NPTE | $11,491 |
| Radiography | AAS, 63 credits | In person, fall | La Crosse (Health Science Center) | JRCERT; ARRT | $11,138 |
| Surgical Technology | AAS, 62 credits | In person, summer | La Crosse | CAAHEP; CST | $10,961 |
| Health Information Technology | AAS, 62 credits | Hybrid, summer | La Crosse | CAHIIM; RHIT | $10,961 |
| Medical Coding Specialist | Diploma, 30 credits | Hybrid, summer | La Crosse | AHIMA CCA | $5,035 |
| Phlebotomist/Specimen Processor | Diploma, 4 credits | Hybrid, fall or spring | La Crosse | – | $707 |
| Respiratory Therapy | AAS, 63 credits | In person | La Crosse (not accepting applications) | CoARC; NBRC | $10,573 |
| Human Services Associate | AAS, 62 credits | In person | La Crosse, Tomah | – | $10,961 |
| Welding & Fabrication | Diploma, 31 credits | In person, fall, 2 terms | La Crosse | – | $5,480 |
| Welding Technician | Diploma, 15 credits | In person, fall, 1 term | La Crosse | – | $2,652 |
| Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration | AAS, 61 credits | In person, fall | La Crosse | – | $10,784 |
| Automotive Technician | Diploma, 55 credits | In person, fall | La Crosse (Vehicle Technology Center) | ASE Education Foundation | $9,723 |
| Diesel & Heavy Equipment Technician | Diploma, 55 credits | In person | La Crosse (Vehicle Technology Center) | – | $9,723 |
| Building Construction & Cabinetmaking | Diploma, 37 credits | In person, summer start | La Crosse | – | $6,541 |
| Solar Installation Technician | Certificate, 14 credits | In person, fall | La Crosse | – | $2,475 |
| Architectural Technology | AAS, 61 credits | In person, 4 terms | La Crosse | – | $10,784 |
| Interior Design | AAS, 60 credits | In person, fall | La Crosse | – | $10,607 |
| Accounting | AAS, 61 credits | In person or online | La Crosse and online | – | $10,784 |
| IT-Cybersecurity & Network Administration | AAS, 65 credits | Hybrid, fall | La Crosse | – | $11,491 |
| IT-Data & Analytics Specialist | AAS, 60 credits | Hybrid, fall | La Crosse | CompTIA Data+ | $10,607 |
| IT-Software Development with Applied AI | AAS, 62 credits | Hybrid | La Crosse | – | $10,961 |
| IT-Web Programmer | Diploma, 38 credits | Hybrid, fall, 1 year | La Crosse | – | $6,718 |
| Graphic Design | AAS, 61 credits | In person, fall | La Crosse | – | $10,784 |
| Legal Studies/Paralegal | AAS, 61 credits | Hybrid | La Crosse | ABA-approved | $10,784 |
| Criminal Justice | AAS, 62 credits | Hybrid, fall | La Crosse | – | $10,961 |
| Funeral Service (first year only) | 31 credits at Western | Hybrid, fall | La Crosse, then MATC | Degree finished at MATC | $5,480 |
Western’s program accreditation list (March 2026) names ACEN for nursing, CODA for dental assisting, JRCERT for radiography, CAAHEP for medical assisting, surgical technology and the paramedic programs, NAACLS for the lab technician degree, ACOTE for occupational therapy assistant, CAPTE for physical therapist assistant, CAHIIM for health information technology, CoARC for respiratory therapy, the ASE Education Foundation for Automotive Technician and the American Bar Association for Legal Studies/Paralegal. The Wisconsin Department of Justice approves the Law Enforcement 720 Academy and the Department of Health Services the Nursing Assistant course. The list does not include the diesel or HVAC programs.
Electrical and machining are taught only as apprenticeships, and plumbing is offered as one too: classroom instruction for apprentices registered with Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development, which first requires an employer sponsor. Western has no open-enrollment electrician or machine-tool diploma. Funeral Service is one year at Western, after which students transfer to Milwaukee Area Technical College to finish the degree.
What the main programs cover
Nursing (RN)
Before core nursing courses, students complete prerequisites with a C or better: chemistry, English Composition I, speech, psychology, sociology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology and a Strengths Seminar, plus a nursing assistant course or CNA status. They also need a HESI A2 cumulative score of 75% or higher, a background check and the program’s technical standards. Places in core courses go by application date once requirements are complete, with an estimated wait of 6 to 7 terms. Training uses simulation and XR labs, and LPN-to-RN and Paramedic-to-RN options exist for students who already hold those licenses.
EMT and paramedic
EMT is 252 hours, or 7 credits, completed in a single term in hybrid format, and prepares students for the National Registry (NREMT) exam, after which they apply for a Wisconsin license. It is taught at every Western site. Paramedic study is in person and starts in fall at the Sparta Public Safety Training Facility, where the core courses meet: the EMT-Paramedic diploma is 39 credits, and the Paramedic Technician associate degree is 62 credits. Both are accredited by CAAHEP on the recommendation of CoAEMSP.
Welding and fabrication
The two-term Welding & Fabrication diploma covers shielded metal arc (SMAW), oxy-fuel, gas metal arc (GMAW), gas tungsten arc (GTAW) and flux-cored (FCAW) welding, plus thermal cutting, in the La Crosse shops. The one-term, 15-credit Welding Technician diploma, which teaches SMAW, MIG, TIG, oxy-fuel and blueprint reading, is fully embedded in it. The program pages do not mention American Welding Society certification, and Welding Technician taken on its own cannot be paid for with federal aid.
Automotive and diesel
Both programs are taught at the Vehicle Technology Center on Larson Street in La Crosse. Automotive training is a ladder of three diplomas: Automotive Maintenance & Light Repair Technician – Level 1, Automotive Service Technician – Level 2, and the full 55-credit Automotive Technician diploma, which is accredited by the ASE Education Foundation and prepares students for ASE certification tests. Diesel & Heavy Equipment Technician is also 55 credits, with an Assistant diploma embedded in it, and Western says most students finish within 21 months.
Legal Studies/Paralegal
The 61-credit degree is hybrid, but at least 9 credits of legal-specialty courses must be taken synchronously, in live class sessions at set times rather than at the student’s own pace. The program is approved by the American Bar Association, and Western is a member of the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE). People who already hold a bachelor’s degree can take a post-baccalaureate version instead. Only 6 graduates answered the college’s 2023–2025 survey, 3 of them working in related jobs, so the sample is too small to say much.
Tuition, fees and how students pay
The WTCS Board sets tuition for all 16 Wisconsin technical colleges. The 2026-27 rates were approved on 18 March 2026 and apply from summer 2026.
| 2026-27, per credit | Wisconsin resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Career programs (associate degree, diploma, certificate): tuition | $157.45 | $236.18 |
| Career programs with Western’s per-credit fees | $176.79 | $255.52 |
| Transfer courses (AA/AS): tuition | $196.05 | $294.08 |
Western’s per-credit fees for career courses are a $10.39 student activity fee, $2.20 Health Science Center fee, $3.94 security fee, $2.36 technology fee and $0.45 graduation fee. Material fees vary by course, and there is a one-time $30 application fee. At the resident rate, a 30-credit year comes to $4,723.50 in tuition alone, or $5,303.70 with the per-credit fees. Rates and fees are on Western’s tuition and fees page.
Western takes federal student aid, and each program page says whether that program is eligible. Several short programs are not: Nursing Assistant, EMT, Phlebotomist/Specimen Processor, Welding Technician, Solar Installation Technician, the Cabinetmaking and Web Design certificates, and the Funeral Service year at Western. Wisconsin’s need-based Wisconsin Grant – Technical College is administered by the state’s Higher Educational Aids Board, and the Western Foundation lists named scholarships through its AcademicWorks portal. Military-connected students have their own page under Paying for College, and Western offers military credit for prior learning.
Open admission, with queues for nursing and radiography
Western is open-admission: students apply online, pay the $30 fee and work with an Admission Coach. Several health programs then limit entry to their core courses. Nursing places students by application date once requirements are complete, with an estimated wait of 6 to 7 terms; its next evaluation date is 15 February 2027, for the summer term. Radiography runs a similar queue with a 6- to 9-term wait. Both generally do not accept out-of-state applicants, except Minnesota residents under the two states’ reciprocity agreement. Respiratory Therapy is not accepting applications, and the Cabinetmaking certificate takes students only into seats left after diploma students.
The year has three 15-week terms, each split into two 7-week sessions, and some classes run in accelerated 7-week format. Most programs start in fall; Dental Assistant, Health Information Technology, Medical Coding, Occupational Therapy Assistant and Surgical Technology start in summer, and Phlebotomy in fall or spring. Program pages label delivery as in person or hybrid, and Accounting is the only program listed as available online.
Accreditation and results
Western has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1972. HLC reaffirmed its accreditation on 6 January 2025 after a comprehensive evaluation, with no monitoring or stipulations listed; an assurance review is due in 2028-29 and the next comprehensive evaluation in 2034-35. ACEN accredits the nursing degree, with its next visit due in fall 2032. Results Western publishes:
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate (Nursing AAS) | 93% (79 of 85), 90% (103 of 114), 91% (65 of 71), 96% (109 of 114); national 86%, 82%, 80%, 93% | 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024; nursing program results |
| Nursing graduates employed in nursing within a year | 100% each year (goal 98%) | 2020-21 to 2023-24; nursing program results |
| Nursing completion within four terms | 16% to 61%, by cohort (benchmark 50%) | Recent cohorts; nursing program results |
| RHIT exam pass rate (Health Information Technology) | 60% (5 candidates) | Aug 2021 – Jul 2022; program page |
| Graduates employed / employed in a related field | 96% / 85% (self-reported, about six months after graduating) | 2022-23 graduates; Western Fact Book (2023) |
| Second-year retention | 59% | 2023; Western Fact Book |
The 96% and 85% employment figures come from the college’s survey of 2022-23 graduates, so they are now three years old. Pass rates for radiography, medical assisting, occupational therapy, physical therapist assistant, lab technician, surgical technology, EMT and paramedic are not shown on the program pages themselves; several pages link to separate results documents, which readers should check. Program pages do give graduate-survey counts, and several are small.
Before you enroll
- Most programs are taught only in La Crosse. Independence and Viroqua offer just Nursing Assistant, EMT and general education, so check where a program’s core courses meet before choosing a site.
- Open admission does not mean an immediate seat. The RN degree has an estimated 6- to 7-term wait for core courses and Radiography 6 to 9 terms, and both generally exclude out-of-state applicants other than Minnesota residents.
- Several short programs, including Nursing Assistant, EMT, Phlebotomy, Welding Technician and Solar Installation Technician, cannot be paid for with federal aid.
- Respiratory Therapy is under review and not accepting applications, and there is no current Practical Nursing (LPN) program.
- Electrician and machinist training is apprenticeship-only, and plumbing is also taught as an apprenticeship; all need an employer sponsor. Funeral Service gives one year at Western before transfer to MATC.
Seven sites: what each teaches
| Site | Address | Credit programs taught there |
|---|---|---|
| La Crosse (main) | 400 7th Street North, La Crosse | Nearly every program, including the RN degree; health programs at the Health Science Center, automotive and diesel at the Vehicle Technology Center |
| Black River Falls | 24 Fillmore Street, Black River Falls | Nursing (RN), Nursing Assistant, EMT, general studies |
| Mauston | 1000 College Avenue, Mauston | Nursing (RN), Nursing Assistant, EMT, general studies |
| Tomah | 120 East Milwaukee Street, Tomah | Clinical Medical Assistant (only here), Human Services Associate, Nursing Assistant, EMT, general education |
| Independence | 36084 Walnut Street, Independence | Nursing Assistant, EMT, general studies |
| Viroqua | 220 South Main, Viroqua | Nursing Assistant, EMT, general studies |
| Sparta Public Safety Training Facility | 11177 County Rd. A, Sparta | EMT-Paramedic, Paramedic Technician, EMT |
The La Crosse campus includes the Health Science Center at 1300 Badger Street, the Vehicle Technology Center on Larson Street and the Apprenticeship and Industry Training Center at 2860 21st Place South. Admissions is at the Welcome Center, 716 Badger Street. Western also teaches dual-credit classes in high schools and courses in correctional institutions; those sites are not open to the public.
Help at the regional sites, and transfer
The Tomah site has an admissions coach and advisors, admissions testing twice a month, career services, computer labs, a bookstore, library delivery from La Crosse and a Workforce Connections office in the same building. Nursing students train in simulation and XR labs. Western’s Accounting degree has transfer agreements with Lakeland and Viterbo, and the college publishes other transfer agreements on its transfer page. Every health program includes clinical placements.
Sources
Checked October 2026: Western locations · HLC accreditation status · Program list · Program accreditation list (March 2026) · Tuition and fees · Nursing program results · ACEN record · Western Fact Book
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Nursing associate degree (RN), with LPN-to-RN and Paramedic-to-RN options
- Nursing Assistant
Health Sciences
- Dental Assistant
- Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary
- Medical Assistant
- Clinical Medical Assistant (Tomah)
- Medical Lab Technician
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Phlebotomist/Specimen Processor
- Radiography
- Surgical Technology
- Respiratory Therapy (under review; not accepting applications)
- Health Information Technology
- Medical Coding Specialist
- Medical Administrative Professional
- Health Office Professional
Emergency Services and Public Safety
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Advanced EMT
- EMT-Paramedic
- Paramedic Technician
- Criminal Justice-Law Enforcement 720 Academy
- Criminal Justice
- Fire Protection Technician
Transportation
- Automotive Maintenance & Light Repair Technician – Level 1
- Automotive Service Technician – Level 2
- Automotive Technician
- Diesel & Heavy Equipment Technician
- Diesel & Heavy Equipment Technician Assistant
Construction, HVAC and Energy
- Building Construction & Cabinetmaking
- Cabinetmaking (certificate)
- Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration
- Refrigeration, Air Conditioning & Heating Service Technician
- Solar Installation Technician (certificate)
- Building Science & Energy Management
- Architectural Technology
- Interior Design
Manufacturing and Engineering Technology
- Welding & Fabrication
- Welding Technician
- Electromechanical Technology
- Electromechanical Maintenance Technician
- Mechatronic & Robotic Engineering Technology
- Electronic & Computer Engineering Technology
- CAD Technician
- Mechanical Design Technology
Apprenticeships (employer sponsor required)
- Construction Electrician
- Industrial Electrician
- Machinist/Tool & Die Maker
- Maintenance Technician
- Mechatronics Technician
- Plumbing
- Surgical Technologist
Information Technology
- IT-Cybersecurity & Network Administration
- IT-Network Technician
- IT-Data & Analytics Specialist
- IT-Software Development with Applied AI
- IT-Web Programmer
- IT-Computer Support Specialist
- Web Design (certificate)
Business and Legal
- Accounting (on campus or online)
- Accounting Assistant
- Business Management
- Human Resource Management
- Digital Marketing
- Legal Studies/Paralegal
Design and Media
- Graphic Design
- Digital Media Production
- Digital Photography
Education and Human Services
- Human Services Associate (La Crosse and Tomah)
- Early Childhood Education
- Educational Assistant
- Foundations of Teacher Education
Transfer
- Associate of Arts / Associate of Science
- Funeral Service (first year at Western, then transfer to MATC)
Campus Locations
La Crosse, WI 400 7th Street North, La Crosse, WI 54601
Black River Falls, WI 24 Fillmore Street, Black River Falls, WI 54615
Mauston, WI 1000 College Avenue, Mauston, WI 53948
Tomah, WI 120 East Milwaukee Street, Tomah, WI 54660
Independence, WI 36084 Walnut Street, Independence, WI 54747
Viroqua, WI 220 South Main, Viroqua, WI 54665
Sparta, WI 11177 County Rd. A, Sparta, WI 54656