7 Best PCT Schools in Charlotte, NC

Central Piedmont Community College is a large public community college with several campuses throughout Charlotte.

Its healthcare programs include Nurse Aide, Phlebotomy, and Medical Assisting, allowing students to choose a short entry-level course or a more comprehensive clinical program.

For PCT preparation, combining Nurse Aide training with phlebotomy is a practical route.

Programs Offered

The Nurse Aide course teaches vital signs, personal care, eating and toileting assistance, walking, dressing, infection prevention, and other bedside-care skills.

Students receive classroom, laboratory, and clinical training and can pursue the North Carolina Nurse Aide competency examination after completing the required education.

Central Piedmont also offers a 14-week Phlebotomy Technician course.

It includes seven weeks of classroom instruction followed by seven weeks of clinical blood-collection experience.

The Medical Assisting diploma adds blood drawing, injections, examination assistance, laboratory procedures, and a supervised practicum.

Tuition and Cost

Students should budget approximately $500 to $1,500 for short Nurse Aide or phlebotomy training after tuition, books, screening, supplies, and clinical requirements.

Eligible unemployed or underemployed Charlotte-area residents may qualify for Central Piedmont’s Accelerated Career Training program, which can cover tuition, books, fees, and related training costs.

Program Length

Nurse Aide training takes approximately 16 weeks.

Phlebotomy takes approximately 14 weeks.

The Medical Assisting diploma can be completed in about two and a half semesters.

Carolinas College of Health Sciences is located in Charlotte and is part of Atrium Health.

Its Nurse Aide and Phlebotomy programs offer direct access to hands-on healthcare training connected to one of the region’s largest healthcare systems.

Programs Offered

The Nurse Aide program combines online coursework with in-person skills laboratories and clinical training.

Students learn basic nursing care, vital signs, patient mobility, infection control, personal care, communication, and other CNA responsibilities.

The school also offers a 200-hour Phlebotomy program combining classroom and laboratory education with clinical experience at Atrium Health facilities.

Students interested in PCT positions can use CNA training as their bedside-care foundation and add phlebotomy afterward.

Tuition and Cost

Current Nurse Aide tuition is approximately $1,100.

Students should also plan for possible expenses related to health documentation, background screening, uniforms, equipment, and the North Carolina competency examination.

Phlebotomy tuition should be confirmed before enrollment because the current program page does not provide one fixed all-inclusive price.

Program Length

The Nurse Aide program includes approximately 120 hours for weekday students and up to 136 hours for some weekend schedules.

Students may finish and become credentialed within two to three months.

Phlebotomy takes either 10 or 14 weeks depending on the cohort.

Chosen Health Care Institute is a private healthcare training school on University Executive Park Drive in Charlotte.

It is one of the most flexible local options because students can complete CNA I, CNA II, phlebotomy, EKG, medication aide, and medical assisting training at the same school.

Programs Offered

The Medical Assistant pathway consists of CNA I, Medication Aide, CNA II, Phlebotomy, and EKG Technician courses followed by approximately 200 hours of internship experience.

This creates a broad PCT-related skill set covering bedside care, advanced CNA procedures, blood collection, vital signs, EKG testing, and other clinical duties.

The CNA I program alone includes 128 hours.

Phlebotomy includes 160 hours of classroom and laboratory training.

Tuition and Cost

CNA I tuition is approximately $850 and includes items such as a blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, uniform, and shoes.

Phlebotomy costs approximately $950 plus a $100 book.

CNA II is approximately $700 plus a $100 book, while EKG training costs roughly $540.

Students completing the full Medical Assistant pathway should expect costs above $3,000 once the individual courses, screenings, books, and other requirements are combined.

Program Length

CNA I takes four weeks.

Phlebotomy takes eight weeks.

The complete Medical Assistant pathway, including its internship, takes approximately five to seven months.

Umanah Healthcare Institute operates a Charlotte campus on Beatties Ford Road.

Its Nurse Aide I program is one of the area’s more affordable choices for beginners seeking direct patient-care training.

Programs Offered

Students learn basic nursing care, vital signs, bathing, dressing, feeding, mobility assistance, infection control, communication, and patient safety.

Hands-on clinical experience is included.

Graduates can pursue the North Carolina Nurse Aide I competency examination after meeting state requirements.

Students seeking broader PCT preparation can later add phlebotomy and EKG training.

Tuition and Cost

Nurse Aide I tuition is approximately $750.

Students should ask whether the current price includes textbooks, uniforms, CPR, background screening, health requirements, and the state examination.

Program Length

The weekday course takes four weeks.

A Saturday-only weekend format takes approximately eight weeks.

Carolina School of Phlebotomy is located on Lamar Avenue in Charlotte.

Its focused program is a good addition for CNAs or other patient-care workers who want hands-on blood-drawing experience.

Programs Offered

Training covers venipuncture, butterfly and syringe techniques, finger sticks, specimen processing, infection control, laboratory terminology, blood cultures, difficult draws, patient rights, and safety.

Students practice live venipunctures during laboratory sessions and complete a final skills evaluation.

Graduates may pursue the NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician examination if they meet NHA requirements.

Tuition and Cost

The complete six-week program costs approximately $900.

That includes a $50 registration fee, $500 tuition, $150 laboratory fee, $100 textbook fee, and $100 for supplies.

The national certification examination is separate.

Program Length

The standard program takes six weeks, with two four-hour sessions each week.

Cabarrus College of Health Sciences is located in Concord, approximately 20 miles northeast of central Charlotte.

Its Medical Assistant certificate is a more comprehensive option for students who want extensive hands-on clinical training.

The college is affiliated with Atrium Health Cabarrus.

Programs Offered

Students receive hands-on medical assisting instruction every week and complete a family medicine practicum.

Clinical training covers patient preparation, vital signs, laboratory procedures, medical documentation, communication, and other entry-level medical assisting responsibilities.

This is not a dedicated PCT certificate, so students seeking hospital bedside positions should check whether employers also require CNA certification, phlebotomy, or BLS credentials.

Tuition and Cost

Tuition and fees for the complete certificate are approximately $15,111.

Books and supplies add around $1,000, bringing the estimated direct educational cost to approximately $16,111.

Program Length

The Medical Assistant certificate takes approximately 11 months.

ECPI University operates a Charlotte campus offering an Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting.

This is the longest option on the list but also provides broader academic, laboratory, and clinical training.

Programs Offered

Students learn patient intake, infection control, phlebotomy, laboratory procedures, EKG testing, cardiology, medical terminology, pharmacology, injections, and advanced diagnostic procedures.

The program includes hands-on laboratory work, CPR training, and a medical assisting externship.

Graduates may be eligible for medical assisting, phlebotomy, and EKG certification exams, depending on each certifying organization’s requirements.

Tuition and Cost

Medical Assisting tuition is approximately $7,848 per semester, plus a technology fee of about $570 per semester.

With four required semesters, tuition and technology fees can exceed $33,000 before books, supplies, screening requirements, and other personal expenses.

Financial assistance may be available to qualifying students.

Program Length

The associate degree requires 61 semester credits and approximately 1,170 contact hours.

Full-time students can complete the accelerated program in approximately 15 months.