Independent Program Reviews

Find the EKG & telemetry tech program worth your time

We compare online EKG technician and cardiac telemetry monitor technician training programs on curriculum depth, certification-exam prep, cost, and flexibility — then rank them so you don't have to read forty enrollment pages.

See the 2026 rankings We're finalizing affiliate partnerships — no link on this page earns a commission yet. See full disclosure below.

6programs compared

5weighted ranking criteria

3certifying bodies tracked

LEAD II 25mm/s · 10mm/mV

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2026 rankings

Six real, currently-enrolling online programs, compiled from each provider's official pricing and curriculum pages in September 2026 and scored with the weighted model below (see How We Rank). Rank numbers are fixed to our overall score; use "Reorder view by" to compare on price or length instead.

1RANK

U.S. Career Institute

Strengths

DEAC-accredited (U.S. Dept. of Education recognized) and A+ rated with the BBB
Lowest full price of any program on this list; NHA CET exam fee reimbursed
5-day money-back guarantee and one-on-one career coaching

Trade-offs

No externship help — you arrange your own 10 supervised live EKGs
Most students take closer to 6 months than the advertised 4

Our take: The best-documented combination of accreditation, price, and reputation among the programs we reviewed — a sensible default, as long as you budget time to line up your own clinical hours.

Verified Sep 2026 · Official program page ↗

USCI's program runs 20 self-paced lessons and quizzes, completable on phone or computer with no live class times to work around. Full payment is $979; a monthly plan runs $69/mo ($1,279 total including a $29 application fee). The NHA CET exam fee — up to a $223 value — is reimbursed on completion. USCI cites a 97% student recommendation rate. As with every program in this list, the required 10 live EKGs for full certification are the student's own responsibility to arrange.

8.4/10

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2RANK

Health Tech Academy

A faster, coaching-heavy self-paced bootcamp with a real job-placement track.

Price

$1,700

Length

8 weeks

Format

Self-Paced Online

Exam prep

NHA CET (voucher incl.)

Strengths

Fastest structured timeline in this list, with 1-on-1 coaching sessions
6 months of post-program career coaching, resume and interview help
NHA CET exam voucher included in tuition

Trade-offs

Nearly double USCI's price for a similar NHA CET outcome
Still requires students to independently complete 10 live EKGs

Our take: Worth the premium over USCI if you specifically want a compressed 8-week timeline and hands-on career coaching baked in.

Verified Sep 2026 · Official program page ↗

Health Tech Academy prices the program at $1,700 with a promo code (list price $2,000), or $153/mo over 12 months with no credit check. Materials include the Elsevier "ECGs Made Easy" e-textbook, and the program cites an average starting salary of $42,800 for graduates. Like the self-paced competitors above, the 10-live-EKG requirement for certification is completed independently after coursework.

8.2/10

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3RANK

MedCerts

The deepest simulation library we found, at the highest price in this list.

Price

$2,200

Length

12 weeks

Format

Self-Paced Online

Exam prep

NHA CET (fee incl.)

Strengths

Expert-led video training with the largest case-simulation library reviewed here
One year of post-program career-center access; accepts military and WIOA funding

Trade-offs

Most expensive program on this list at $2,200 ($197/mo financed)
MedCerts itself carries no institutional accreditation (only the CET credential does)

Our take: Strong production quality and simulation depth, but you're paying a real premium versus USCI or Health Tech Academy for a comparable NHA CET outcome.

Verified Sep 2026 · Official program page ↗

MedCerts structures the program as 12 weeks at 15–20 hours/week of expert-led video instruction, competency assessments, and simulations, with the NHA CET exam fee included in tuition. Students get dedicated Student Success Advisors during the program and one year of Career Center access afterward. MedCerts notes it lacks institutional accreditation, though the CET credential it prepares students for is itself NHA-accredited — worth understanding before enrolling if institutional accreditation matters to your employer or further education plans.

8.0/10

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4RANK

ProTrain College

The one genuinely live, instructor-led cohort in this list — scheduled evening classes, not a self-paced module.

Price

$1,495

Length

78 hrs, ~6 wks

Format

Live Online

Exam prep

AMCA ETC / NHA CET

Strengths

Real-time instructor access twice a week, plus SIMTICS virtual labs
Multiple third-party accreditations (Middle States Association, BBB)

Trade-offs

Fixed Tuesday/Thursday evening schedule with hard enrollment deadlines
Least flexible option here — cohorts only start on specific announced dates

Our take: The right pick specifically if a self-paced module doesn't work for how you learn — plan your calendar around its fixed cohort schedule.

Verified Sep 2026 · Official program page ↗

ProTrain runs this as a scheduled cohort — for example, Tuesdays and Thursdays from September 8 through October 20, 2026, with evening time slots to accommodate different time zones. Tuition is $1,495 with payment plans and MyCAA grant eligibility. The course prepares students for either the AMCA EKG Technician Certification (ETC) or NHA CET exam, and includes SIMTICS virtual labs for ECG procedures, vital signs, and BLS scenarios. No in-person clinical externship is required.

7.5/10

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5RANK

California Medical Training Center

Online prep plus a mandatory in-person skills day — the only hands-on-tested option here, if you can reach it.

Price

$950–$1,050

Length

1–3 wks + 1-day lab

Format

Hybrid (CA / NV)

Exam prep

NHA & NCCT

Strengths

Only program here with a required in-person hands-on skills day before testing
Instructor with 30+ years' cardiac-care experience; provider claims a 90%+ pass rate

Trade-offs

In-person session only offered in Granada Hills, CA or Las Vegas, NV
A non-starter if you can't travel to one of those two locations

Our take: A genuinely strong option for EKG/telemetry monitor tech training specifically — but only if you live near, or can travel to, its skills-day locations.

Verified Sep 2026 · Official program page ↗

Students complete 10–20 hours of self-paced online prep (including an NHA study account) before attending a mandatory 6–8 hour in-person skills session for hands-on practice and testing. Regular price is $1,050, discounted to $950 with a $300 deposit; the national exam fee is included. The provider states its pass rate exceeds 90% against a cited national average under 72% — a claim we haven't independently verified. A minimum of 10 hands-on live EKGs is required, same as most other programs on this list.

7.3/10

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6RANK

Stonecrest Health

The cheapest, fastest option here, purpose-built for telemetry monitor technician training.

Price

$550

Length

4–6 weeks

Format

Self-Paced Online

Exam prep

CET prep incl.

Strengths

Lowest price and shortest timeline of any program in this list
Telemetry-monitor-specific curriculum with no externship requirement

Trade-offs

Published site has the least detail on accreditation and instructor credentials here
Support appears limited to email contact with an assigned instructor

Our take: Worth considering purely on price and speed for telemetry-monitor-focused training — but confirm accreditation and certification details directly with the provider before enrolling.

Verified Sep 2026 · Official program page ↗

Stonecrest's course is a section-by-section self-paced format, where each quiz or exam unlocks the next module, and states graduates are "eligible to take the National ECG Technician Certification Exam" with CET exam prep included. Total cost is $550 with payment plans available, and the provider explicitly notes no externship is required. Students get a named personal instructor by email. This program publishes less about its own accreditation status than the others on this list, so it's worth a direct question to the provider before enrolling.

7.1/10

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How we rank

Every program is scored out of 10 against the same five weighted criteria, so a cheaper program isn't automatically penalized and an expensive one isn't automatically rewarded.

Scores above are based on each program's own published pricing, curriculum, and policy details as of September 2026, evaluated against the rubric at right. We haven't personally enrolled in these programs — treat our scores as a well-sourced starting point, and confirm current pricing and terms directly with each provider before enrolling.

Curriculum & clinical prep

30%

Certification exam readiness

25%

Cost & value

20%

Flexibility & format

15%

Student support & community

10%

Frequently asked questions

What does an EKG technician do?

An EKG (electrocardiogram) technician attaches electrodes and operates the equipment used to record a patient's heart's electrical activity, then passes that recording to a physician for interpretation. It's an entry-level allied-health role found in hospitals, cardiology offices, and outpatient clinics.

What's the difference between an EKG technician and a telemetry/cardiac monitor technician?

EKG technicians typically perform and record standalone EKG tests. Telemetry (cardiac monitor) technicians continuously watch multiple patients' heart rhythms on monitors — often from a central station — and alert nursing staff to abnormal rhythms. Some employers and training programs combine the two skill sets, or use the titles interchangeably, so it's worth checking what a specific job posting or program actually covers.

Do I need certification to work as an EKG tech?

It's not always legally required, but most employers strongly prefer or require a national certification — most commonly the Certified EKG Technician (CET) credential from NHA or a related credential from NCCT. Training programs vary in whether they include an exam voucher or dedicated prep material, so check that before enrolling.

How long does online EKG tech training take?

Most online certificate programs run four to twelve weeks, depending on whether it's self-paced, a scheduled live cohort, or a hybrid program with in-person lab time.

How much does EKG tech training cost?

Online certificate programs commonly range from roughly $400 to $1,500, depending on format and whether a certification exam voucher is bundled into the price.