Surgical Technologist
Associate's Degree
- Next Start Dates
- November 12, 2025
- January 05, 2026
CAAHEP accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)2
22 courses to complete the Surgical Technologist program
Support the Operating Room as a Surgical Technologist
In this CAAHEP-accredited Surgical Technologist program, you will learn to professionally carry out common operating room procedures and handle high-pressure situations as a valuable member of a surgical team. You’ll be trained in four focused skills areas of surgical technology: preparing operating rooms, surgical assisting, sterilization techniques and compassionate patient care.
Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared to take a surgical technologist national certification exam to add to your professional credentials and pursue a certified surgical technologist career. We’ll cover the application fee for the first exam attempt for qualifying students.3
On This Page:
What Types of Surgical Technologist Courses Will I Take?
The blended on-campus and online Surgical Technologist program provides a solid understanding of the healthcare industry, surgical technology and surgical assisting. You’ll experience the benefits of flexible online courses and perform tasks and hands-on training in surgical procedures suite labs.
Save time and money on your Surgical Technologist Associate's degree with self-directed assessments. These $149 online, interactive assessments allow you to show that you already achieved the skills and knowledge for a particular course and don't need to take it. We'll provide prep materials and you can work with a peer tutor to prepare at no additional cost.
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Fundamentals of Surgical Technology
- Orient students to surgery and technology and prepares them for their first scrub role and circular duties
- Understand standards of conduct, special populations, patient safety, equipment, biomedical science and more
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Surgical Microbiology
- Understand the treatment of disease-causing organisms that may present with a surgical patient or develop post-surgery
- Address the needs of the surgical technologist in maintaining aseptic techniques
- Surgical patient safety and care before, during and after surgery
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Surgical Procedures III
- Expand on the duties and responsibilities in surgical technology scrub role
- Review surgical areas of orthopedic, peripheral vascular, cardiothoracic, pediatric, neurosurgery and trauma surgery fields
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Human Anatomy and Physiology I
- Study the structure and function of the human body
- Examine human anatomy through basic chemistry and cell biology, tissues, and the body’s integumentary, skeletal, muscular nervous and sensory systems
- Complete laboratory exercises, including microscopic observation, study anatomical model and more
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Surgical Tech Practicum I
- Provide a clinical experience that includes a solid introduction to the operating room, as well as scrub and circulating routines
- Expand and apply knowledge gained in the Surgical Procedures courses
Turn Your Surgical Technologist Program into a Career
We’ve made advancing your education in a Surgical Technologist program even easier by offering courses and surgical technologists credentials that fit into a busy working schedule. Upon successful completion, you can also choose to continue your education by transferring your credits into our Health and Wellness Bachelor’s degree.-
Surgical Technology
Start your Surgical Technologist degree if:
You’re interested in helping patients by working in a laboratory or operating room team. Surgical tech programs are ideal if you’re interested in how to prepare patients before, during and after surgery, and able to handle high-pressure situations as a valuable member of a surgical team.
Surgical Technology Program Outcomes:
Our Surgical Technology program will prepare students to take the CST National Surgical Technologist Certification exam to add to their professional credentials. The application fee for the first exam attempt for qualified students is at no additional cost.3
Students are also eligible to prepare and take the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) Tech in Surgery – Certified TS-C exam at non-accredited campuses at no additional cost.3
Surgical Technologist Common Careers:
- Surgical technologist
Projected Job Growth:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the projected job growth potential between 2023 and 2033 for surgical technologists is 6%.4
Take the Next Step—Talk to Us!
Tuition Costs & Savings
Do the Math:
With a total of 22 courses, full-time Surgical Technologist students can finish in as few as 21 months1 for an estimated $37,334 in tuition and fees.
$347 full-time tuition per credit
x 92 total credits
_______________________
$31,924 total tuition
+ $5,410 total fees
_______________________
$37,334 full-time estimated tuition and fees
Learn more about the financial aid cost of attendance (COA).
Other Ways to Save
Higher education should be a manageable investment. Talk to an admissions representative and learn how our Surgical Technologist program is designed to be more affordable with transfer credits, self-directed assessments, loans and grants, and corporate and military grants for those who qualify.
Estimate Your Tuition
Rasmussen University is committed to making education more affordable for all students. Our tuition estimating tool can help you visualize the cost of your degree and see what savings opportunities are available to help you achieve it.
Rasmussen University believes in helping you make your education as affordable as possible.
Our interactive tuition estimator is designed to help you discover how much you could save on a degree from Rasmussen University.
Simply enter your ZIP code, select the program and credential you're interested in, and click “next”.
Right away, you can see the total estimated cost of your selected degree.
As you engage with the tool, you may see this number start to go down.
You also have the option to see how attending full-time or part-time could impact your tuition—and what your tuition estimate looks like, broken down by quarter.
The tuition estimator walks you through a number of ways you could reduce your overall tuition.
Click the tabs or the “back” and “next” buttons to move through the tool.
Within each tab, answer the question shown as accurately as you can, by interacting with the slider, select menu or radio buttons shown.
You might not feel totally confident in all of your answers. That's okay. This tool is just generating an estimate of how much your degree might cost.
The last tab of the tool shows you your results, including how much you could potentially save on your Rasmussen degree.
Remember, the numbers shown here are just estimates, and the true cost of your degree will vary.
Talk with an admissions representative for more information about how to make your Rasmussen degree as affordable as possible.
Is Becoming a Surgical Tech Worth It? 6 Points to Consider
You’re ready for something better; something to launch your career and allow you to make a difference. Keep reading to learn some facts that may help you decide if a surgical technology program is perfect for you.
Read more
What Should I Know Before I Enroll?
Entrance Requirements
Entrance requirements for the School of Health Sciences vary by program. To learn more and receive help planning your healthcare career path, contact an admissions representative who will speak to you about immunizations, background checks and entrance exam options.Transfer Credits
We believe in giving credit where it’s due. You can get an estimate of your transfer credits without an official transcript in one business day (on average). Talk to an admissions representative today, or explore our Transfer Policy page for our seamless credit policies designed to maximize credits, potentially save money and expedite graduation.
Help Paying for College
Higher education should be a manageable investment. Talk to an admissions representative and learn how these programs can make it more affordable with self-directed assessments, credit for prior learning, loans and grants, scholarship opportunities, corporate grants and military grants for those who qualify.
Where Can I Find a Surgical Technology Program Near Me?
At Rasmussen University, we want our courses to be available on your schedule, not the other way around. Select programs are available for enrollment through a specific campus and nationally online, but students complete the courses online and can utilize online and on-campus support and resources.
The degree type can vary based on the state. This is an Associate of Science (AS) degree in FL, and an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in MN and IL.
See below to find out where you can find a Surgical Technologist program near you.
Accreditation
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
The Surgical Technologist AAS Program at the Hennepin/Anoka, Minnesota, campus, the Central Pasco, Florida, campus, and the Rockford and Romeoville/Joliet, Illinois, campuses is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP.org) on the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA).
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
9355 113th Street N, Suite 7709
Seminole, FL 33775
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org
Surgical Technologist Program Outcomes
Rasmussen University has Rasmussen University and National NBSTSA Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam pass rates available to view.