2025 Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

If you pursue a associate degree in surgical technology, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #36 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 26 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 782 associate degrees in surgical technology during the 2022-2023 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Associate Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Surgical Technology School for Your Associate Degree

The surgical technology/technologist associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

• Major Focus - How much a school focuses on surgical technology students vs. other majors.
• Major Demand - How many other surgical technology students want to attend this school to pursue a associate degree.
• Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized surgical technology related body.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for surgical technology students working on their associate degree.

More Ways to Rank Surgical Technology Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Surgical Technology in the Far Western US Region

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in surgical technology.

10 Top Far Western US Region Schools for an Associate in Surgical Technology/Technologist

1

San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Cordova
Rancho Cordova, CA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

40 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in an associate degree in surgical technology has to check out San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Cordova. is a small private for-profit college located in the city of Rancho Cordova.More information about a associate in surgical technology from San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Cordova

2

San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

20 Annual Graduates

San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield is a great decision for students interested in an associate degree in surgical technology. is a fairly small private for-profit college located in the large city of Bakersfield.More information about a associate in surgical technology from San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield

3

San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula
Temecula, CA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

34 Annual Graduates

San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula is one of the best schools in the country for getting an associate degree in surgical technology. Located in the midsize city of Temecula, is a private for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a associate in surgical technology from San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula

4

Southwestern College
Chula Vista, CA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

9 Annual Graduates

Southwestern College is a great choice for individuals pursuing an associate degree in surgical technology. SWC Chula Vista is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Chula Vista.More information about a associate in surgical technology from Southwestern College

5

College of Southern Nevada
Las Vegas, NV

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

12 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Las Vegas, CSN is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in surgical technology from College of Southern Nevada

6

San Joaquin Valley College-Fresno
Fresno, CA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

25 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Fresno, is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.More information about a associate in surgical technology from San Joaquin Valley College-Fresno

7

Seattle Central College
Seattle, WA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

11 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Seattle, Seattle Central is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in surgical technology from Seattle Central College

8

Columbia Basin College
Pasco, WA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

9 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Pasco, CBC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in surgical technology from Columbia Basin College

9

Mt. Hood Community College
Gresham, OR

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

13 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Gresham, MHCC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in surgical technology from Mt. Hood Community College

10

Yakima Valley College
Yakima, WA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

13 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Yakima, YVC is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in surgical technology from Yakima Valley College

Best Surgical Technology Colleges by State

Explore the best surgical technology colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
California	405	177
Washington	288	121
Oregon	260	22
Nevada	185	11

View All Rankings >

Surgical Technology Related Rankings by Major

Surgical Technology is one of 23 different types of Allied Health Professions programs to choose from.

Most Popular Majors Related to Surgical Technology/Technologist

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Respiratory Care Therapy	1,197
Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician	1,022
Radiologic Technology	861
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technology	479
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)	381
Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist	188
Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapy	181
Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist	42
Athletic Training	35
Other Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	15

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard). More about our data sources and methodologies.