El Paso Community College surgical technology program: pass rate, jobs and local pay
An AAS program in El Paso, 2 years. 100% of its graduates passed the CST exam over Spring 2025 cohort.
The short version
- Its CST exam rate (100%) is above the Texas program median of 92.5%.
- 73.0% of students stayed in the program, by ARC/STSA's retention measure.
These lines are generated from the numbers on this page and change when the data does.
How graduates do
ARC/STSA requires every accredited program to publish the same outcome measures, so they can be compared program to program. 3
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.
What it costs
El Paso Community College does not publish a total cost for this program. EPCC lists the student-paid items (books, uniforms, insurance, checks) but no amounts or program total. Ask the program for its cost sheet; contact details are on its page.
For comparison only, not this program's price: the 6 Texas surgical technology programs that publish a cost range from $395 to $5,940, with a median of $2,315.
What surgical technologists earn around El Paso
The median yearly wage for surgical technologists in the El Paso metro area is $62,980. 2 Payback time sets aside 10% of that each year toward the program cost.
After you graduate: getting to work in Texas
Texas has no state license or registration for surgical technologists. Under Health and Safety Code Chapter 259, a licensed or state-run health care facility may only employ someone to practice surgical technology who completed an accredited program and holds current certification from the NBSTSA, the National Center for Competency Testing, or another approved program (with exceptions for military training, pre-Sept 2009 employment, federal service, and documented hiring shortages).
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Graduate from a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited surgical technology program to be eligible for the CST exam.4 | Not published |
| Apply to NBSTSA and pass the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam.5 | $340 |
| Start work: a new graduate may be employed for up to 180 days after graduation, then must show the employer proof of certification.6 | Not published |
| Keep certification current; certified technologists must complete the CE their certifying body requires, and others practicing under an exception need 30 hours every two years.7 | Not published |
Typical fees to start working: $340. Counts the CST exam at the non-member price ($340); members of the Association of Surgical Technologists pay $230. There is no state fee. NBSTSA CST certification runs on a two-year cycle requiring 30 CE credits (4 live) and a $40 renewal fee; Texas law requires certified technologists to keep that certification current. Full guide: how to become a surgical technologist in Texas
Program facts
- Credential
- AAS
- Length
- 2 years
- Starts
- Summer and Spring (ranking for Summer 2026 and Spring 2027 starts)
- Before you apply
- Finish Anatomy and Physiology I (BIOL 2404), Medical Terminology and a college math course, with a 2.5 EPCC GPA and a Health Careers Orientation.
- Entrance exam
- TSIA2 (scores count toward ranking)
- Accreditation
- ARC/STSA, Accredited (CAAHEP, on ARC/STSA recommendation)
- Leads to
- NBSTSA Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam
Sources and dates
- El Paso Community College program outcomes page, Undated PDF covering Spring 2018 to Spring 2025 cohorts; 8-year averages 90% first-time and 94% after retakes; no placement.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Surgical Technologists (29-2055), May 2025 estimates.
- Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (programs accredited by CAAHEP) (ARC/STSA), checked Nov. 2026.
- NBSTSA CST Eligibility, checked Nov 2026.
- NBSTSA 2025 CST Examination Application, 2025 application form, still the posted version when checked Nov 2026.
- Texas Legislature, HB 643 (81R) enrolled text adding Health and Safety Code Chapter 259, Enacted 2009; current statute page could not be loaded.
- Texas Legislature, SB 1239 (86R) enrolled text amending Sec. 259.002, Effective Sept 1, 2019.
Every number was checked against its source on Nov. 4, 2026. Spot an error? Report it. Program Outcomes is independent and not affiliated with any school or ARC/STSA. Our independence policy