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CNA Classes in Arizona: 101 State-Approved Programs (2026)

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CNA Classes in Arizona: Programs, Costs, and State Requirements

Published June 18, 2026 · Last updated June 18, 2026

Arizona gives you room to choose. The state lists 101 approved CNA programs spread across 45 cities, which ranks it #26 of 50 by program count. Phoenix alone has 15 programs, Mesa 12, and Tucson 7, so there is likely a classroom within reach of where you live. Certification runs through the Arizona Nurse Aide Registry, and every approved program meets the same 120-hour training requirement, including 40 hours of hands-on clinical practice.

Sourced from Arizona AZBN registrySourced from AZBNBLS salary dataBLS dataLast verified Jun 18, 2026Verified Jun 18
Illustration of a certified nursing assistant caring for an elderly patient, CNA classes in Arizona

AT A GLANCE

Your Arizona CNA path

Four steps from interest to certification. Most students complete this in 6–8 weeks.

  1. Step 1.Complete 120 hours of approved training.
  2. Step 2.Finish 40 supervised clinical hours.
  3. Step 3.Pass the D&S Diversified / Headmaster written and skills exam.
  4. Step 4.Get listed with the Arizona Nurse Aide Registry.
See the full How to Become guide →

Key numbers before you compare programs

Typical program length
3–16 weeks
Typical paid program cost
$800–$3,400
Average CNA salary
$44,780/yr (BLS, May 2025)
Reciprocity accepted
Yes, with conditions

All 101 state-approved Arizona CNA programs

Sort by cost, length, format, or city. Filter with the chips above the table. Click any row to expand full address, phone, clinical site, and next cohort.

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How this list works. Every program below is state-approved by the Arizona Nurse Aide Registry (AZ AZBN). Cost, length, and format come directly from each program’s published materials. Blanks (“N/A”) mean the program hasn’t published that detail yet. Programs with a linked name have a verified profile we maintain. Last verified June 18, 2026.
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Showing 1–25 of 101
ProgramCityFormatLengthTotal CostSponsored

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Showing 1–25 of 101

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Fastest CNA programs in Arizona

Yavapai College in Prescott Valley lists one of Arizona’s shortest CNA courses at 3 weeks, and Moore Medical Training in Phoenix runs a 3-week schedule as well. A few other Phoenix-area schools compress training into a month or less. Fast still means clearing the full bar, though: 120 training hours, including 40 hours of clinical practice, and the same competency exam everyone sits for.

ProgramCityLengthTotal CostSponsored

Schedules verified June 18, 2026, sourced from each program’s published calendar.

Is a 3-week CNA program in Arizona long enough?

Yavapai’s 3-week course and a 16-week community-college program both have to meet Arizona’s 120-hour requirement, including the 40 clinical hours, and both finish at the same competency exam. The fast option does not ask less of you; it asks for the same work on a tighter calendar.

That tighter calendar usually means full days, back to back, with little slack for a job or childcare while you train. The clinical rotations are the most demanding part, since you practice real skills on real patients under a supervising instructor. Three packed weeks of that suits some students and overwhelms others.

Be honest about your own schedule before you pick the shortest option. If you can clear three weeks with few other commitments, an accelerated Arizona course gets you to the exam sooner. If you are working or parenting through training, a longer program like Central Arizona College’s 8-week option in Coolidge can reach the same exam at a steadier pace.

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Online, hybrid, weekend & evening CNA programs in Arizona

Elevation Academy School of Nursing in Mesa and the Academy for Caregiving Excellence in Tucson both run hybrid CNA tracks, and other Arizona programs add evening and weekend schedules for students who work during the day. That flexibility is real, but it has a hard limit. Online-only is not offered in Arizona, because the state’s 40 required clinical hours have to happen in person, with real patients and an instructor watching your skills. So when you see “online CNA classes” advertised here, it means the coursework can be online, not the entire program.

ProgramCityFormatLengthTotal CostSponsored

Format and schedule options verified June 18, 2026. Confirm current online, hybrid, evening, and weekend availability with each program.

Which flexible format is right for working adults?

In an Arizona hybrid program like Elevation Academy’s in Mesa, the online piece is the coursework: anatomy, infection control, patient rights, all the material behind the 75-question knowledge test. You can often work through that part online, which adds flexibility around the rest of your week. Academy for Caregiving Excellence in Tucson is set up much the same way.

The skills lab and the 40 clinical hours work differently. You cannot learn to safely transfer a patient or take accurate vitals from a video, so Arizona requires that hands-on training in person, supervised by an instructor. The competency exam itself includes 3 or 4 manual skill tasks you perform in front of an evaluator, which is exactly why those clinical hours can never move online.

So read “online CNA classes” in Arizona as online coursework plus required in-person labs and clinicals, never the whole program. The evening and weekend tracks at schools around Phoenix and Mesa offer a different kind of flexibility, keeping the whole program, lecture and clinical alike, on a set schedule you can plan around. It is worth asking each program exactly which hours meet in person and when, so the schedule you sign up for matches the one you can actually keep.

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Cheapest CNA programs in Arizona

Coconino Community College in Flagstaff lists the lowest named tuition in Arizona at $920, and Pima Community College’s Ironwood Ridge site in Oro Valley follows at $926. Paid tuition starts around an $800 floor and climbs to roughly $3,400 at the top of the range. Across the 37 Arizona programs with published pricing, you have real room to compare before you commit a dollar.

ProgramCityLengthTotal CostSponsored

Costs verified June 18, 2026, sourced from each program’s published tuition materials.

Is the cheapest CNA program always the best value in Arizona?

Coconino’s $920 course and a $1,795 hybrid program in Tucson both end at the same Arizona Nurse Aide Competency Exam, and both lead to the same certification. The price gap usually buys schedule and setting, not a stronger credential.

Arizona’s lower-cost seats cluster at community colleges, and those often run on a fixed academic calendar. Coconino’s course is listed at 16 weeks. If you need to start next month instead of next semester, a low sticker price can cost you weeks of waiting for the next intake.

Look past tuition to the full bill. Ask each Arizona program whether the $130 exam fee, scrubs, a physical, and your background check are included or added on top. Two programs with the same headline price can land in very different places once those line items are counted.

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Free & employer-sponsored CNA training in Arizona

Cost in Arizona runs all the way down to $0: 7 of the state’s 101 approved programs are fully funded through government or scholarship support rather than tuition. They are a small slice of the market, and they carry their own eligibility rules, so a free seat is worth chasing only if you actually qualify for one.

Free programs you can enroll in directly

ProgramCityLengthTotal CostSponsored

One funded seat rarely covers everything. Even when an Arizona program waives tuition, confirm whether the $130 exam fee, scrubs, and your background check are included or still yours to pay. The state’s $0 registry placement fee helps, but those program extras are where a “free” course can still cost you.

What’s the catch with free CNA training in Arizona?

Arizona reports zero employer-sponsored CNA programs, so the 7 free seats here come from government or scholarship funding, not from a facility paying your way in exchange for a work commitment. That matters because it shapes where to look: career-and-technical and school-linked programs rather than employer hiring pipelines.

Most funded seats carry eligibility rules. Some are built for students still in the K-12 or CTE system; others have their own eligibility rules, so check each program. If you fit the profile a given program is funded to serve, $0 tuition is real and worth pursuing first. If you do not, the paid options are still affordable: Coconino’s $920 course sits near the bottom of a range that tops out around $3,400.

Read every condition before you enroll. A funded Arizona program may limit who can apply, cap its seats, or run only on a set calendar, so confirm you qualify before you count on it. And remember that tuition is only part of the cost. The Arizona Nurse Aide Registry charges $0 for CNA placement and renewal, so the fees you are actually weighing are the $130 exam and any program extras like scrubs or a background check, not the certification itself.

CNA salary in Arizona

BLS wage data for Arizona and its top 3 metros.

Arizona CNAs earn a median of $21.53 an hour, about $44,780 a year, according to BLS OEWS data. That runs 6.5% above the national median of $20.21 and puts Arizona at #19 of 50 states for CNA pay, squarely in the middle of the pack. The range is wide: the 10th percentile starts near $17.84 an hour, while the 90th percentile reaches $27.80.

Entry-level (10th)
$17.84/hr
$37,107/yr
Median (50th)
$21.53/hr
$44,780/yr
Top end (90th)
$27.80/hr
$57,824/yr

Pay by setting in Arizona

SettingMedian hourlyNotes
Hospitals$22.61/hrEstimated from the state wage distribution
Skilled nursing / SNF$21.53/hrEstimated
Assisted living / residential$20.02/hrEstimated

Setting figures are estimated from the verified Arizona wage distribution (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (Nursing Assistants, 31-1131), Arizona, May 2025); actual pay varies by employer.

Where you work in Arizona moves the number as much as the percentile does. Hospitals post the highest median in the state at $22.61 an hour, skilled-nursing facilities sit at $21.53, and assisted-living or residential settings at $20.02. That is about a $2.59 spread per hour between the top and bottom setting, all from the same certification. Read alongside the percentile range, that means two Arizona CNAs with the same credential can be paid quite differently depending on setting, shift, and metro. The 10th-to-90th span of $17.84 to $27.80 is the realistic envelope, and the by-setting medians show where within it different workplaces tend to land.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), occupation 31-1131. Cost-of-living differential: Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2024).

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Arizona SNAPSHOT

What makes CNA training in Arizona different

State-specific context (hours, exam vendor, and funding density) now that you’ve seen the options.

TRAINING HOURS

120 hours required

Arizona requires 120 training hours, including 40 clinical, which is 1.6x the federal floor of 75.

EXAM VENDOR

D&S Diversified / Headmaster

A 75-question knowledge test plus 3 or 4 manual skill tasks, $130 total.

PROGRAM COUNT

101 programs, 45 cities

Ranks #26 of 50 by program count, led by Phoenix with 15 and Mesa with 12.

Above-floor training hours
Pay above national median
Wide program choice

120 hours, well above the federal floor

Arizona sets its CNA minimum at 120 training hours, including 40 clinical hours. That is 1.6 times the 75-hour federal floor for training and 2.5 times the 16-hour federal clinical minimum set under OBRA '87 (42 CFR 483.152). The extra time means a longer course than the federal baseline, but you finish with more supervised clinical practice behind you before you sit for the exam.

D&S Diversified runs Arizona's competency exam

Arizona tests through D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster), not Prometric or Credentia. The Arizona Nurse Aide Competency Exam costs $130 and pairs a 75-question knowledge test with 3 or 4 manual skill tasks you perform for an evaluator. You schedule it after completing your 120 hours. The vendor matters because practice materials and skill checklists are specific to D&S.

Pay sits above the national median

Arizona's CNA median of $21.53 an hour runs 6.5% above the national median of $20.21, which ranks the state #19 of 50 for pay. Setting drives the spread: hospitals report a median of $22.61, skilled nursing $21.53, and assisted living $20.02. With 101 programs across 45 cities, you get both choice in where to train and a clear picture of how pay varies across Arizona workplaces.

Bottom line for Arizona students

Arizona asks for more training hours than the federal floor and pays above the national median, with 101 programs across 45 cities giving you real choice in how and where you certify.

CNA classes by city in Arizona

Phoenix leads Arizona with 15 CNA programs, followed by Mesa with 12 and Tucson with 7. Yuma adds 5 and Glendale 4, while smaller hubs like Douglas, Kingman, Scottsdale, and Flagstaff round out the 45 cities with at least one program.

Top 10 Arizona metros by program count

  • Phoenix15 programs
  • Mesa12 programs
  • Tucson7 programs
  • Yuma5 programs
  • Glendale4 programs
  • Douglas3 programs
  • Queen Creek3 programs
  • Kingman3 programs
  • Scottsdale3 programs
  • Flagstaff2 programs

Arizona Nurse Aide Registry: contacts & reference

Certification in Arizona is handled by the Arizona Nurse Aide Registry, part of the Arizona State Board of Nursing. The contact details and application portal are below.

Managing agencyArizona State Board of Nursing
Phone(602) 771-7800
Websiteazbn.gov
Typical processingN/A
Renewal windowEvery 24 months; At least 8 paid hours as a nurse aide
Fee structureCNA initial placement and renewal $0; LNA initial license $50 and renewal $50; CNA/LNA endorsement $50

Always verify with the registry directly before enrolling. Approved-program lists update periodically.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about earning and keeping your Arizona CNA certification, answered with the state’s current rules. For anything specific to your situation, the Arizona Nurse Aide Registry has the final word.

Does Arizona have CNA reciprocity?
Yes, with conditions. Arizona accepts CNA certification from other states, and you apply to transfer it through the Arizona Nurse Aide Registry rather than retraining from scratch. The specific conditions depend on your situation, so confirm exactly what applies to you with the Arizona Nurse Aide Registry before you relocate.
How do I transfer my out-of-state CNA license to Arizona?
You transfer by endorsement through the Arizona Nurse Aide Registry instead of retaking the Arizona Nurse Aide Competency Exam, and the CNA endorsement fee is $50. The exact documents and eligibility checks vary by case, so start the application with the Arizona State Board of Nursing before your move and confirm the current requirements with the registry, since you cannot work as a CNA in Arizona until you appear on it.
How much is the CNA exam in Arizona?
The Arizona Nurse Aide Competency Exam costs $130 total. It is administered by D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) and combines a 75-question knowledge test with 3 or 4 manual skill tasks performed for an evaluator. Some Arizona programs fold the exam fee into tuition while others charge it separately, so ask your program which applies before you enroll.
What can stop you from getting your CNA license in Arizona?
The clearest blockers are not completing Arizona’s 120 required training hours or not passing the Arizona Nurse Aide Competency Exam, since both are required before you can be placed on the registry. Eligibility specifics are set by the Arizona Nurse Aide Registry, so confirm your situation with them directly. For a definite answer on your situation, contact the Arizona Nurse Aide Registry through the Arizona State Board of Nursing.
Can you have a background and still be a CNA in Arizona?
Often, yes. Whether a prior record affects CNA certification in Arizona is decided by the Arizona Nurse Aide Registry, so confirm your specific situation with them rather than relying on a general rule. Arizona does not publish a single list that covers every situation, so the safest step is to contact the Arizona State Board of Nursing and confirm your standing before you pay for a program.
Can I renew my Arizona CNA license online?
Arizona CNA certification renews every 24 months, and there is no renewal fee for CNAs. To be eligible, you must have worked at least 8 paid hours as a nurse aide during the cycle. Renewal is processed through the Arizona Nurse Aide Registry and the Arizona State Board of Nursing, so check azbn.gov for the current method and steps before your expiration date.
Can I still work as a CNA in Arizona if my certification expires?
Arizona certification renews every 24 months, and staying eligible requires at least 8 paid hours of nurse-aide work during the cycle. Whether you can keep working after an expiration, and how to get reinstated, depends on Arizona’s specific lapse rules, which the Arizona Nurse Aide Registry administers. If your certification is close to expiring or has already lapsed, contact the Arizona State Board of Nursing for the exact rules that apply to you.
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