Points of interest…
- Madison College lists total CNA program cost at $743.61, excluding extras.
- Wisconsin requires 75 training hours, including 16 supervised clinical hours.
- Madison metro nursing assistants earned $21.76 per hour, May 2025 median.
Madison's hospitals and long-term care facilities hire nursing assistants year-round, and Wisconsin requires at least 75 training hours: a 75-hour program combines 59 classroom hours with 16 supervised clinical hours. That makes CNA the fastest nursing career path into patient care in the Madison area.
Most students ask three questions before enrolling: how much CNA training costs, whether free or employer-paid classes exist, and how to reach the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry. Madison College, private training centers, and employer-sponsored routes all lead to that registry, though formats and prices differ. Jump straight to the program list →
Where Madison CNAs Work: Hospitals, Clinics, and Long-Term Care
Hospitals offer prestige and a clear path into acute care, while nursing homes offer the faster way in. Most new Madison CNAs start in long-term care after completing CNA programs in Wisconsin and move toward hospital work once they have experience.
Major Madison Employers
The city's big health systems anchor the local job market: UW Health University Hospital, UnityPoint Health-Meriter, SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital-Madison, and the William S. Middleton Memorial VA Hospital. Around them sit many nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living communities, which hire nursing assistants in steady numbers.
Long-term care and skilled nursing facilities are usually the easiest entry point for new CNAs. Hospitals often prefer candidates with prior experience, or they hire into patient care tech roles that build on a CNA credential.
Nearby Commuting Markets
Training and jobs are not limited to Madison proper. Sun Prairie, Middleton, Fitchburg, and Verona sit within an easy commute. Janesville, roughly 45 minutes south, adds another option if a program or employer there fits your schedule better.
What the Job Involves
A Wisconsin CNA works under the supervision of a nurse. Daily tasks include bathing, feeding, helping patients move or transfer, and taking vital signs. The work is physical and personal, and it gives you direct exposure to how care teams operate.
That exposure is why many readers treat the role as a stepping stone. Time spent as a CNA can strengthen an application to LPN programs in Madison or an RN program at nursing schools in Madison WI, and some employers offer tuition help for staff who continue their nursing education.
Online, Evening, and Accelerated CNA Options in Madison
No Wisconsin CNA program is fully online. State rules require at least 75 training hours under the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Training Program Requirements, and the hands-on skills lab and supervised clinical portions must happen in person, with students demonstrating competency before they work with residents in a nursing home. What you can find in Madison is hybrid coursework: theory delivered online, everything else on site.
What hybrid actually looks like
Madison College runs its Nursing Assistant technical diploma as a mix of online and in-person instruction, a 3-credit course listed at 99 hours for 2026, with sections at Truax and Goodman South plus outlying campuses in Reedsburg, Portage, Watertown, and Fort Atkinson. CHES offers a blended 80-hour course that splits roughly 45 hours online against 35 hours of in-person skills work, including 16 clinical hours, with day and weekend scheduling.
Evening and accelerated formats
Neway Directions, at 6400 Gisholt Drive, publishes two tracks: a full-time course that finishes in about 3 weeks and a part-time evening version spread across roughly 6 weeks, with evening sessions typically running 4 to 8 PM. Madison College has advertised accelerated 3-to-4 week options, though not every section each term uses that calendar. Across the metro, most courses land somewhere in the 4-to-12 week range depending on how many days per week you attend.
Picking a format
Working adults and parents usually do better in evening or weekend sections, where the clinical rotation is scheduled around a day job. Career changers who want a paycheck fast gravitate to the accelerated cohorts, which compress the same hour requirements into long days.
Before you pay anything, confirm the program appears on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services list of approved nurse aide training programs. Completion of an unapproved course will not get you on the registry.1
What CNA Training Really Costs in Madison
Published tuition at Madison-area providers is only part of the total. Madison College lists its Nursing Assistant course at $743.61, with the same published total program cost, but it does not specify whether books, uniforms, background checks, TB testing, immunizations, or the Wisconsin competency exam fee are included. Quality CNA Training lists $800 tuition plus about $150 in typical added costs for an estimated $950 total, and it does not bundle the exam fee or textbook into tuition. Students should add those separate costs when comparing options. Madison College students may qualify for financial aid or workforce grants, while private centers such as Quality CNA Training often offer payment plans. Neway Directions and CHES do not publish current tuition in the retrieved sources, so contact those centers directly.
| Provider | Tuition | What's Included | Typical Added Costs | Course Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison College Nursing Assistant | $743.61 | Not specified in published program details | N/A | 3-credit course |
| Quality CNA Training | $800.00 | No bundled exam or textbook | $150.00 | 75-hour training program |
Related Articles
What Nursing Assistants Earn in the Madison Metro
In May 2025, nursing assistants in the Madison, WI metropolitan area earned a median wage of $21.76 per hour, or $45,260 per year.
How to Get on the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry
The path starts with a caregiver background check and a DHS-approved training program. Wisconsin requires 75 total training hours, including 16 clinical hours, followed by the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Competency Exam through D&S Headmaster/TMU; if you fail one part, you can retake that part and must pass within one year of finishing training. Exam fees vary, WisCaregiver Careers may cover one attempt for eligible participants, and the registry listing renews every 24 months with at least 8 paid supervised hours required to keep federal work eligibility.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Can you commit to a full-time daytime cohort, or do you need evening or weekend sessions?
Many CNA courses run several weeks on weekday schedules, which is hard to fit around a current job. If you cannot step away from work, look first at evening or weekend sections.
Would you accept a 6 to 12 month work commitment at a sponsoring nursing home in exchange for free training?
Employer-paid training removes tuition, but you are tied to one facility for the agreed period. If you want freedom to choose your employer or unit, a self-paid program may suit you better.
Is your goal a fast entry-level job, or credits that can later count toward a Madison College LPN or RN pathway?
A short non-credit course gets you working sooner. A credit-bearing option may cost more up front but can shorten the road to nursing later. Confirm how credits transfer before you enroll.
Are the program's clinical sites close enough to Sun Prairie, Middleton, or wherever you live to commute reliably?
Clinical hours often happen at partner facilities that may be a drive from campus. Ask for the site list early, since a long or unreliable commute can put your attendance at risk.
Top CNA Programs for Madison Students
Below are the top CNA programs serving Madison students, ranked by cost, format, and outcomes data. These Wisconsin technical colleges offer short certificate and diploma pathways to the state nurse aide registry, with campus, hybrid, and partially online instruction.
Factors considered
- First-year retention rates
- Student-to-faculty ratio
- Tuition and net price
- Program format and scheduling
- Post-completion earnings potential
Data sources
- BEA state price parities, used to adjust tuition — bea.gov
- College Scorecard post-completion earnings data — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Program-level records maintained in house
- Original research on individual programs
- National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) — nces.ed.gov
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Moraine Park Technical College | Fond du Lac, WI | ~$9,000/yr (est.) | Budget-conscious students wanting hybrid flexibility | |
Moraine Park Technical College's 78-hour, 2-credit Nursing Assistant diploma is partly online and offered in Beaver Dam, Fond du Lac, and West Bend. In-state tuition is about $4,819 per year, and the average net price is near $9,268, with Beaver Dam as the closest Madison commute.
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| #2 | Northwood Technical College | Rice Lake, WI | $5,000 – $10,000/yr (est.) | Students open to relocating for campus training | |
Northwood Technical College offers a 90-hour, 2-credit campus-based Nursing Assistant diploma with multiple start dates in Rice Lake, Ashland, New Richmond, and Superior. It is a long-distance option for most Madison commuters, with in-state tuition around $4,926 and an average net price near $8,989.
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| #3 | Southwest Wisconsin Technical College | Fennimore, WI | ~$13,000/yr (est.) | Future nurses wanting an ADN pathway | |
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College's campus-based Nursing Assistant certificate meets state and federal requirements and prepares students for the NNAAP exam. Fennimore is about 80 miles west of Madison, and credits can lead into the Nursing Associate Degree; in-state tuition is around $4,904, with an average net price near $12,896.
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| #4 | Mid-State Technical College | Wisconsin Rapids, WI | ~$11,000/yr (est.) | ||
Mid-State Technical College's Nursing Assistant diploma runs in hybrid or campus formats with fall, spring, and summer starts and a 27-hour clinical practicum. Wisconsin Rapids is roughly 110 miles north of Madison; in-state tuition is about $5,002, and average net price is near $10,873.
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| #5 | Northeast Wisconsin Technical College | Green Bay, WI | $5,000 – $10,000/yr (est.) | ||
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College's hybrid 3-credit Nursing Assistant diploma offers day, evening, and weekend sections and is ACEN-accredited and Wisconsin DHS approved. Green Bay is about 140 miles northeast of Madison, with in-state tuition around $4,960 and an average net price near $9,918. ACEN accredited
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| #6 | Waukesha County Technical College | Pewaukee, WI | $10,000 – $15,000/yr (est.) | ||
Waukesha County Technical College's 82-hour, 2-credit Nursing Assistant diploma combines on-campus practice with clinical training in a nursing home or hospital. Pewaukee is roughly 80 miles east of Madison, with in-state tuition about $4,872 and an average net price near $11,101. ACEN accredited
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| #7 | Gateway Technical College | Kenosha, WI | ~$13,000/yr (est.) | ||
Gateway Technical College's 75-hour Nursing Assistant diploma uses simulation labs and prepares students for Wisconsin's CNA exam. Kenosha is about 80 miles southeast of Madison, with in-state tuition around $4,956 and an average net price near $12,928. ACEN accredited
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| #8 | Chippewa Valley Technical College | Eau Claire, WI | $12,000/yr (est. net price) | ||
Chippewa Valley Technical College's Nursing Assistant diploma can be completed in 14 weeks or less with classroom, lab, and clinical practice. Eau Claire is about 180 miles northwest of Madison, with in-state tuition around $4,844 and an average net price near $12,285. ACEN accredited
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| #9 | Nicolet Area Technical College | Rhinelander, WI | ~$8,000/yr (est.) | ||
Nicolet College's 118-hour Nursing Assistant diploma includes supervised clinical experience and is Wisconsin DHS approved. Rhinelander is about 190 miles north of Madison, with in-state tuition around $4,793 and an average net price near $8,255.
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| #10 | Northcentral Technical College | Wausau, WI | $5,000 – $7,000/yr (est.) | ||
Northcentral Technical College's 3-credit, 120-hour Nursing Assistant diploma is hybrid with some online flexibility and multiple campus locations. Wausau is about 140 miles north of Madison, with in-state tuition around $4,889 and an average net price near $10,303.
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Madison CNA Program FAQs
Below are quick answers to common questions about age requirements, program length, exam retakes, and high school CNA options in the Madison area. Use these details to check eligibility before you apply.
Wisconsin sets no single statewide minimum age for nurse aide training or employment, but approved programs at nursing schools in Wisconsin generally admit students at 16. Madison College requires students to be at least 16 before the first class, and some clinical sites or employers require 17 or 18. Students must complete state-approved training before testing.
Most approved Madison-area CNA programs run 4 to 12 weeks depending on pace and schedule. State-approved training totals 75 to 120 hours, including at least 16 clinical hours. A 75-hour course may be accelerated to about 5 weeks as a fast track CNA program, while part-time formats commonly take 8 or 16 weeks. Madison College's 3-credit course fits within one semester.
If you fail the Wisconsin CNA competency exam, you can retake the part you failed, either the knowledge test or the skills test. Wisconsin allows unlimited retakes within one year after completing training. After that year, you must complete another state-approved program. WisCaregiver Careers may fund one attempt per exam part in 2026.
High school students in the Madison area can often start CNA training at 16 through Madison College, which prepares students for the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry written and skills tests. Madison Metropolitan School District offers youth apprenticeship for juniors and seniors, and its early-college program offers the Nursing Assistant course at East, La Follette, and Memorial high schools with dual credit. Clinical sites may require students to be 17 or 18.
