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

SeaTac, WA residents have the shortest transit trip of any South King County city to a 4-week CNA program that is not inside their own city. The 1 Line stops at SeaTac/Airport Station and Angle Lake Station, and Federal Way Downtown is the fourth stop south of Angle Lake, roughly 15 to 20 minutes on Sound Transit's published timetable. Huduma CNA Programs, a short walk from that station, runs the 108-clock-hour Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) course in 4 weeks for $1,100 tuition plus about $105 in books and supplies, with the $100 skills test given on site. Every approved Washington program teaches the same 108-hour minimum (35 theory, 33 lab, 40 clinical) and every graduate pays the same $155 in exam fees, so the variables for a SeaTac student are start dates, weekday or weekend pattern, whether the program tests on site, and how you get there.

Why SeaTac is a transit city for CNA students

The city is a strip along International Boulevard (SR 99) between Tukwila and Des Moines, with the airport in the middle. Its transit spine is unusual for a suburb: two light rail stations inside city limits (SeaTac/Airport at South 176th Street and Angle Lake at South 200th Street), the RapidRide A Line running the full length of International Boulevard, and the F Line crossing the north end toward Burien and Tukwila. Wikipedia's transit summaries, drawn from Sound Transit, put SeaTac/Airport 37 minutes from Westlake and Angle Lake 41 minutes, and Federal Way Downtown is the end of the line to the south. Angle Lake Station has a 1,050-stall garage per Sound Transit, which matters for residents of McMicken Heights or the Angle Lake neighborhood who would rather drive to the station than to Federal Way.

A large share of SeaTac's population was born outside the United States, and many CNA students from the city speak Somali, Amharic, Tigrinya, Spanish, Vietnamese, or Punjabi at home. Instruction at Huduma CNA Programs is in English, and the knowledge test is English with an oral option; the English expectations are laid out in English requirements for CNA training in Washington.

Four commute options from SeaTac to Federal Way

Times are approximate and based on Sound Transit and King County Metro published information as of September 2026, after Metro's August 29, 2026 South King County service change.

Metro route 156 now runs Highline College to Southcenter via Des Moines and SeaTac/Airport Station with expanded hours, and route 161 links Burien Transit Center to Kent Station through the airport area, but neither goes to Federal Way; use them to reach a 1 Line station.

Program options a SeaTac resident should price out

Highline College is the closest community college and sits across Pacific Highway from Kent Des Moines Station, so a SeaTac student can reach it as easily as Federal Way. The difference is calendar: a quarter-based course runs 10 to 12 weeks and starts with the academic term; the private 4-week course starts several times a year and ends with the skills test in the same building. Community college vs private CNA school in Washington covers the tradeoffs in detail.

Total cost from SeaTac

If your SeaTac household qualifies for WorkSource, WIOA, or Basic Food Employment and Training, tuition can be covered; the eligibility rules are explained in WorkSource, WIOA, and Basic Food Employment and Training. Payment plans are a separate question to ask any program.

Fitting class around airport and hospitality shifts

Many SeaTac residents work at the airport, in hotels along International Boulevard, or in transportation jobs covered by the city's employment standards ordinance. Those jobs often run on rotating shifts, which makes the pattern choice more important than the program choice:

• Day pattern, 4 weeks. Suits someone between jobs or on leave; class days are consecutive and clinical days follow the facility's schedule.
• Weekend pattern. Suits someone keeping weekday shifts; the 108 hours spread across more calendar weeks.
• Attendance. Washington counts clock hours, so a missed session must be made up under the school's attendance rules.

Whichever pattern you choose, the 40 clinical hours happen in a licensed nursing facility and require a completed background check first.

What SeaTac graduates do next

SeaTac has no hospital inside city limits. The nearest are St. Anne Hospital in Burien (formerly Highline Medical Center, per Virginia Mason Franciscan Health), St. Francis in Federal Way, and Valley Medical Center in Renton, and the 1 Line runs straight to Seattle's hospital districts. Inside the city, employers are skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, and adult family homes. Indeed job-posting data (August 2026) shows a Washington average of about $23.62 per hour for nursing assistants and about $23.80 in Seattle; SeaTac is not reported separately. Employers and commute rings are mapped in CNA jobs in SeaTac, WA.

Decision rule for a SeaTac resident

1. Within walking distance of SeaTac/Airport or Angle Lake Station? Federal Way is 15 to 20 minutes away; pick by start date and total cost, not distance.
2. Live along International Boulevard away from a station? The A Line reaches Federal Way Downtown directly; a 1 Line transfer saves a few minutes.
3. Want a college transcript? Price Highline College's quarter-based course, one stop south.
4. Already an active Washington HCA? The 40-hour HCA to CNA bridge for $800 replaces the 108-hour course.
5. Need a fixed 4-week finish with testing on site? The CNA Traditional program in Federal Way; cohorts are on the schedules page.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get from SeaTac to CNA class in Federal Way? About 15 to 20 minutes on the 1 Line from SeaTac/Airport or Angle Lake Station, 20 to 35 minutes on the A Line, or 12 to 20 minutes by car.

Are there CNA classes inside SeaTac? Occasionally a nursing facility runs its own training. Confirm any listing on the WABON approved-program list and ask whether it delivers the full 108 hours and tests on site.

Can I train while working airport shifts? Yes, if you pick the pattern that avoids your shift days and can make up any missed clock hours. Weekend cohorts exist for exactly this situation.

Does the school require a car? No. The school is a short walk from Federal Way Downtown Station and the Federal Way Transit Center.

Is the exam different if I train in Federal Way instead of SeaTac? No. The skills test is $100 and the Credentia knowledge test is $55 everywhere in Washington, and the NA-C credential is identical.

The full path from enrollment to the DOH credential is in how to become a CNA in Washington State.