Texas surgical technology programs: who passes, who gets hired, and what it costs
Surgical technologists prepare the operating room, pass instruments and keep the sterile field during surgery. Texas programs are certificates or associate degrees of about one to two years and lead to the CST exam. Below is every ARC/STSA-accredited program in Texas we could confirm, with the outcomes each one reports. Data checked Nov. 4, 2026.
Programs
34
ARC/STSA-accredited
Median CST exam rate
92.5%
Of 20 reporting
Median job placement
93.0%
Of 6 reporting
Published costs
$395 to $5,940
6 of 34 publish
Texas median wage
$65,220
surgical technologists, BLS 2025
Every program, highest CST exam rate first
Rates are multi-year averages as each program reports them to ARC/STSA, so small programs are not swung by one class. Tap a program for its cost, job placement and sources.
| Program | CST exam rate | Job placement | Completion | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angelina College AAS, Lufkin | 100% | 100% | Not reported | Not published |
| Blinn College, RELLIS AAS, Bryan | 100% | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Del Mar College, Windward AAS, Corpus Christi | 100% | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| El Paso Community College AAS, El Paso | 100% | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Houston City College AAS, Houston | 100% | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| McLennan Community College AAS, Waco | 100% | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Lone Star College, Tomball AAS, Tomball | 95.0% | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| South Plains College, Reese Center AAS, Lubbock | 95.0% | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| North Central Texas College AAS, Gainesville | 94.0% | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Tarrant County College, Trinity River East AAS, Fort Worth | 93.0% | Not reported | Not reported | $4,440 |
| Howard College, San Angelo AAS, San Angelo | 92.0% | Not reported | Not reported | $395 |
| Austin Community College, Eastview AAS, Austin | 89.0% | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Odessa College AAS, Odessa | 87.5% | 100% | Not reported | Not published |
| Amarillo College AAS, Amarillo | 84.0% | 95.0% | Not reported | Not published |
| Dallas College, El Centro AAS, Dallas | 82.0% | Not reported | Not reported | $5,940 |
| Texas State Technical College, Harlingen AAS, Harlingen | 76.0% | 82.0% | Not reported | Not published |
| Vernon College AAS, Vernon | 73.0% | 91.0% | Not reported | Not published |
| Cisco College, Abilene Educational Center AAS, Abilene | 70.0% | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Galveston College AAS, Galveston | 63.0% | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Kilgore College AAS, Kilgore | 62.0% | 79.0% | Not reported | Not published |
| Baptist Health System School of Health Professions AAS, San Antonio | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| College of the Mainland AAS, Texas City | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | $2,315 |
| Collin College AAS, McKinney | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | $3,416 to $3,441 |
| Fortis College, Houston South Degree (level not named on program page), Houston | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Grayson College AAS, Denison | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Lamar State College Port Arthur AAS, Port Arthur | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Paris Junior College AAS, Paris | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| San Jacinto College, Central AAS, Pasadena | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Southwest Texas College, Uvalde AAS, Uvalde | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | $1,527 to $1,602 |
| St. Philip's College AAS, San Antonio | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Temple College AAS, Temple | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| The College of Health Care Professions, Houston AAS, Houston | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Trinity Valley Community College, Health Science Center AAS, Terrell | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Tyler Junior College AAS, Tyler | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
By area
Houston area (7)
- Houston City College: 100%
- Lone Star College, Tomball: 95.0%
- Galveston College: 63.0%
- College of the Mainland
- Fortis College, Houston South
- San Jacinto College, Central
- The College of Health Care Professions, Houston
Dallas area (3)
- Dallas College, El Centro: 82.0%
- Collin College
- Trinity Valley Community College, Health Science Center
San Antonio area (3)
- Baptist Health System School of Health Professions
- Southwest Texas College, Uvalde
- St. Philip's College
Fort Worth area (2)
Sherman-Denison area (2)
Tyler-Longview area (2)
Abilene area (1)
Amarillo area (1)
- Amarillo College: 84.0%
Austin area (1)
Beaumont-Port Arthur area (1)
Bryan-College Station area (1)
- Blinn College, RELLIS: 100%
Corpus Christi area (1)
El Paso area (1)
Killeen-Temple area (1)
Lubbock area (1)
Lufkin-Nacogdoches area (1)
- Angelina College: 100%
Midland-Odessa area (1)
- Odessa College: 87.5%
Rio Grande Valley area (1)
San Angelo area (1)
- Howard College, San Angelo: 92.0%
Waco area (1)
Wichita Falls area (1)
- Vernon College: 73.0%
How to become a surgical technologist in Texas: steps, fees and pay
How to read these numbers
Graduates who passed the CST certification exam, divided by graduates who took it, as the program reports it to ARC/STSA. Every graduate of an accredited program must sit for the exam.
Job placement: graduates employed in surgical technology or a related field, as the program reports it to ARC/STSA. Costs are each school's own published estimate; programs that only list per-credit tuition show "Not published". How we get our numbers