CNA Classes Near Lynnwood, WA: Programs, Costs, and Commute to Federal Way

Lynnwood City Center Station is the northern terminus of Sound Transit's 1 Line, and Federal Way Downtown is the southern one, so a Lynnwood resident can reach the 4-week, 108-hour Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) course at Huduma CNA Programs on a single train with no transfer: roughly 80 to 90 minutes end to end, according to Sound Transit's schedule and regional reporting on the Federal Way extension. The course costs $1,100 tuition plus about $105 in books and supplies and includes the skills test on site. Lynnwood also has a Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON) approved nurse assistant program at Edmonds College on the academic quarter. Both meet the same state floor, 108 clock hours split 35 theory, 33 lab, and 40 clinical, and both lead to the same $155 two-part exam.

The Lynnwood decision in one table

Edmonds College is the obvious local answer for a student who can wait for the quarter and prefers a campus. The Federal Way course is the answer for a start this month, a fixed price, on-site testing, a weekend pattern, or the HCA bridge.

One train, no transfer: what the 1 Line means for a Lynnwood student

Sound Transit published information as of September 2026 describes the line this way: Lynnwood City Center to Federal Way Downtown, through Shoreline, Northgate, the University District, downtown Seattle, SeaTac, Kent Des Moines, and Star Lake. Trains run about every 10 minutes from roughly 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and about every 12 minutes after that. End-to-end time is reported at roughly 80 to 90 minutes. The school is a short walk from Federal Way Downtown Station.

Getting to Lynnwood City Center Station:

• By car: the station garage holds 1,670 park-and-ride spaces, per Sound Transit's station description. Park, ride, and skip I-5 entirely.
• By Community Transit: the agency's Lynnwood guide says fourteen of its routes stop at the station, including the Swift Orange Line from Edmonds College, Alderwood, and Mill Creek. Its RideStore at the station sells and reloads ORCA cards.
• By Sound Transit Express: all-day service between Everett Station and Lynnwood City Center, so a student in south Everett or Mukilteo can also use this route.

A Lynnwood student can therefore do the whole 20-day course without driving on I-5, reading or reviewing skills steps on the train each way. The tradeoff is time: about three hours of riding per class day. A weekend cohort halves the number of weeks with that commitment per week.

Driving from Lynnwood instead

Lynnwood to Federal Way Downtown is about 37 miles, all on I-5 through Seattle. Off-peak, about 45 minutes; the morning southbound peak through downtown Seattle and the afternoon northbound peak can push it well past an hour. The Federal Way Downtown station garage, about 1,500 stalls, is next to the school. For most Lynnwood residents, the train is the more predictable option on weekdays and the car the faster one on weekends.

What it costs and who sets each figure

A Lynnwood resident receiving Basic Food or working with WorkSource Snohomish may qualify for tuition assistance; the mechanics are in WorkSource, WIOA, and Basic Food Employment and Training. Options for spreading tuition across the course are in payment plans for CNA training in Washington.

Day cohort or weekend cohort for a Lynnwood commuter

• Day cohort, weekdays. Twenty class days. Board an early train to arrive before class; the return runs against the heaviest downtown Seattle demand but stays on schedule because it is rail.
• Weekend cohort. The same 108 hours across Saturdays and Sundays over more weeks. Suits Lynnwood residents working weekday jobs at Alderwood, in Snohomish County health care, or in home care. The 1 Line runs on weekends; check headways before relying on a specific train.
• HCA bridge, either pattern. For active Home Care Aides, 40 hours in 5 weekdays or about 2.5 weekends for $800, which reduces the train trips from twenty to about five.

Every Washington program must let students attempt the skills competency exam at least four times, and the course includes 33 lab hours specifically to make the first attempt the last. What those lab hours look like is described in inside the CNA skills lab.

Employers a Lynnwood graduate reaches

Swedish Edmonds, a 217-bed hospital on 76th Avenue W in Edmonds per the Swedish locations page, is the closest hospital to Lynnwood. Providence's Everett hospital is a short drive north, and EvergreenHealth Kirkland is south on I-405. Lynnwood itself has skilled nursing facilities, senior living around Alderwood and along Highway 99, and many adult family homes. Indeed's August 2026 posting data lists about $24.89 per hour for nursing assistants in Everett, the nearest reported city, above the Washington average of about $23.62; both figures are approximate. Seattle hospitals are one 1 Line ride away in the other direction.

The Federal Way course in detail

The CNA Traditional program delivers 35 theory, 33 lab, and 40 clinical hours in 4 weeks under licensed-nurse instructors, with a background check before clinical placement in a licensed nursing facility and the $100 skills test administered on site. It requires a high school diploma or GED; instruction is in English. Active HCAs enroll in the HCA to CNA bridge instead. Cohort dates for both are on the schedules page.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a CNA program in Lynnwood? Yes. Edmonds College in Lynnwood is a WABON-approved nurse assistant program on the academic quarter calendar. Private 4-week options require travel.

How long is the train from Lynnwood to Federal Way? Roughly 80 to 90 minutes on the 1 Line with no transfer, from Lynnwood City Center to Federal Way Downtown.

Can I park at Lynnwood City Center Station for the whole class day? The station garage has 1,670 park-and-ride spaces. Check Sound Transit's current parking rules for daily limits.

Is the $1,100 tuition the total? No. Books and supplies run about $105, the two exam parts total $155, and the DOH application fee is set by the current fee schedule; budget the 1 Line fare or parking on top.

Does the 4-week course meet the same standard as a quarter course? Yes. WAC 246-841A-440 sets 108 clock hours for every approved program. The 4-week course reaches it with longer class days.

Do I need to live in King County to enroll? No. The NA-C is a statewide credential; Snohomish County residents enroll on the same terms.

The certification sequence after class is laid out in how to become a CNA in Washington State.