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

Puyallup, WA is closer to Federal Way than most people assume: Pierce Transit's route 402 runs from Puyallup Station to Federal Way Downtown Station in about 20 to 30 minutes per the published timetable, and the drive on SR 161 or SR 512 and I-5 is roughly 15 miles (approximate). That puts the 4-week, 108-clock-hour Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) course at Huduma CNA Programs, $1,100 tuition plus about $105 in books and supplies, inside a normal commute for the valley, South Hill, and Sumner. Washington sets the same floor for every program, 108 hours split 35 theory, 33 skills lab, and 40 clinical, and the same $155 two-part exam, so what a Puyallup student is really choosing is a start date, a total price, an on-site skills test, and a route.

Puyallup's layout and what it means for class

The city is split by the hill. Downtown Puyallup, Puyallup Station (Sounder and buses), and MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital on 15th Avenue SE sit on the valley floor. South Hill, with the South Hill Mall Transit Center and the Meridian Avenue corridor, sits above it and is where most of the newer housing and many assisted living communities are. Pierce Transit's route 402, named Meridian, links the two: it starts at Meridian and 171st on South Hill, runs through South Hill Mall Transit Center and Puyallup Station, and ends at Federal Way Downtown Station. One route covers the whole city for a Federal Way class.

Times are approximate and based on Pierce Transit published information as of September 2026. Route 402 runs seven days a week: weekdays from before 5:30 a.m. to about 8 p.m., Saturdays from about 7:30 a.m., and Sundays from about 9:30 a.m., generally hourly and somewhat more often at weekday peaks. The Sunday start time is the one to check against a weekend cohort's first class. The route detours during the Washington State Fair each September; Pierce Transit posts the changes.

Program types available to Puyallup residents

Puyallup's skilled nursing facilities and the large senior communities on South Hill are where a facility-sponsored NAR program is most likely; the appeal is low or no tuition, the cost is a work obligation and a calendar set by staffing. A community college course fits a student already on a nursing track. The 4-week private course has a fixed price and a fixed end date. Decision help is in choosing a DOH-approved CNA program in Washington.

Total cost from Puyallup

• Tuition: $1,100 for the traditional course at Huduma CNA Programs; $800 for the HCA bridge. Other schools set their own.
• Books and supplies: about $105.
• Part 1 skills test: $100, paid to the test site; administered on site at Huduma.
• Part 2 knowledge test: $55, paid to Credentia after the skills pass is recorded.
• DOH application: per the current DOH fee schedule.
• Transit: ORCA fare on route 402 for 20 class days, or fuel and parking.

The three state-controlled costs are identical wherever you train. The full list of what to budget, including scrubs and a watch with a second hand, is in books and supplies for CNA class.

Where Puyallup graduates go to work

MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital is the anchor employer: MultiCare lists a 24-hour emergency room, a birth center, a rehabilitation center, and a state Level 2 stroke center designation, and its nursing units hire nursing assistants. Beyond the hospital, Puyallup and South Hill have skilled nursing facilities, assisted living and memory care, and licensed adult family homes; the Washington Soldiers Home in Orting, a state veterans home operated by WDVA that serves 128 residents at nursing-home level of care, is a short drive up the valley. Indeed job-posting data (August 2026) shows a Washington average of about $23.62 per hour for nursing assistants; Puyallup is not reported separately. Employer detail is in CNA jobs in Puyallup, WA.

A decision rule for Puyallup

1. Active Washington HCA credential? Take the 40-hour bridge for $800 rather than the 108-hour course; that is 5 trips on the 402, not 20.
2. Need the credential inside a month? The 4-week course; community college waits for the quarter.
3. Want an employer to pay? Ask Puyallup and South Hill nursing facilities about sponsored NAR training and read the work commitment.
4. Work weekdays? The weekend cohort; check the Sunday 402 start time against the class start, or plan to drive on Sundays.
5. Want to test where you trained? Confirm on-site Part 1 testing; otherwise you book a site through WABON online scheduling and travel to it.

How Huduma CNA Programs runs the course

The CNA Traditional program delivers the 108 hours in 4 weeks, day or weekend pattern, with licensed-nurse instructors, a background check before clinical placement, a Certificate of Completion, and the skills test on site. It requires a high school diploma or GED, and instruction is in English. For holders of an active Washington HCA credential, the HCA to CNA bridge compresses the path to 40 clock hours, taught over 5 weekdays or about 2.5 weekends. Cohort dates are on the schedules page.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Federal Way from Puyallup for CNA class? Roughly 15 miles. About 20 to 30 minutes on Pierce Transit route 402 from Puyallup Station, or 20 to 35 minutes by car.

Does route 402 serve South Hill? Yes. It begins at Meridian and 171st, passes South Hill Mall Transit Center, then Puyallup Station, and continues to Federal Way Downtown Station.

Are there CNA classes in Puyallup itself? Facility-based and private programs may operate in Puyallup or nearby; check each on the WABON approved-program list and confirm the 108 hours and where the skills test is given.

Can I take the weekend cohort on the bus? Route 402 runs Saturdays and Sundays, but Sunday service starts later in the morning. Compare the timetable with the class start before relying on it.

What documents do I need to enroll? A high school diploma or GED, government photo ID, and the records for the background check before clinicals. The checklist is in documents you need to enroll in a Washington CNA program.

For the steps after graduation, from the skills test to the DOH credential, read how to become a CNA in Washington State.