Best colleges for Practical Nursing in Pennsylvania
Ranked by graduate earnings
Delaware County Technical School - Practical Nursing Program, Eastern Center for Arts and Technology and PITC Institute are the top Practical Nursing programs in Pennsylvania by graduate earnings. Delaware County Technical School - Practical Nursing Program leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $65,986, College Scorecard. Prism Career Institute - Philadelphia, Falcon Institute of Health and Science and Lincoln Technical Institute - Allentown award the most Practical Nursing degrees and certificates in Pennsylvania: 197, 164 and 121 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 47 Pennsylvania colleges offer Practical Nursing and award 2,103 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The Practical Nursing program, also known as Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, prepares students for a career as a licensed practical nurse (LPN). This program is designed for individuals who want to provide direct nursing care to…
Top 10 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware County Technical School - Practical Nursing Program Broomall Public · Certificate | $65,986 | 70 | 70% | — | $17,375 |
| 2 | Eastern Center for Arts and Technology Willow Grove Public · Certificate | $56,261 | 78 | 100% | — | $15,026 |
| 3 | PITC Institute Wyncote Private for-profit · Certificate | $54,959 | 105 | 31% | $19,193 | $20,241 |
| 4 | Lincoln Technical Institute - Allentown Allentown Private for-profit · Certificate | $52,233 | 121 | 61% | $37,696 | $19,250 |
| 5 | Fortis Institute - Scranton Scranton Private for-profit · Associate degree | $51,603 | 31 | 46% | $26,301 | $26,749 |
| 6 | Indiana County Technology Center Indiana Public · Certificate | $51,048 | 38 | 71% | — | $20,565 |
| 7 | Lancaster County Career and Technology Center Willow Street Public · Certificate | $49,922 | 103 | 91% | — | $18,215 |
| 8 | Prism Career Institute - Philadelphia Philadelphia Private for-profit · Certificate | $49,653 | 197 | 55% | $28,719 | $21,599 |
| 9 | Franklin County Career and Technology Center Chambersburg Public · Certificate | $48,947 | 22 | 88% | — | $14,760 |
| 10 | Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County Scranton Public · Certificate | $47,934 | 60 | 57% | — | $17,200 |
Colleges awarding the most Practical Nursing degrees in Pennsylvania
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prism Career Institute - Philadelphia Philadelphia Private for-profit | 197 | $49,653 |
| 2 | Falcon Institute of Health and Science Bethlehem Private for-profit | 164 | $47,352 |
| 3 | Lincoln Technical Institute - Allentown Allentown Private for-profit | 121 | $52,233 |
| 4 | PITC Institute Wyncote Private for-profit | 105 | $54,959 |
| 5 | Lancaster County Career and Technology Center Willow Street Public | 103 | $49,922 |
| 6 | Eastern Center for Arts and Technology Willow Grove Public | 78 | $56,261 |
| 7 | Delaware County Technical School - Practical Nursing Program Broomall Public | 70 | $65,986 |
| 8 | Chester County Intermediate Unit Downingtown Public | 67 | $44,616 |
| 9 | Lenape Technical School Practical Nursing Program Ford City Public | 65 | $43,502 |
| 10 | York County School of Technology - Adult & Continuing Education York Public | 61 | $47,870 |
ShowHide the other 37 Pennsylvania colleges offering Practical Nursing
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Nursing Assistants (SOC 31-1131).
Top skills
What Nursing Assistants earn in Pennsylvania
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Practical Nursing programs in Pennsylvania.
Which Pennsylvania colleges award the most Practical Nursing degrees?+
Prism Career Institute - Philadelphia (197 graduates a year), Falcon Institute of Health and Science (164 graduates a year) and Lincoln Technical Institute - Allentown (121 graduates a year) award the most Practical Nursing degrees and certificates in Pennsylvania, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 47 Pennsylvania colleges offer Practical Nursing.
What is the best college for Practical Nursing in Pennsylvania?+
By graduate earnings, Delaware County Technical School - Practical Nursing Program leads among Practical Nursing programs in Pennsylvania, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $65,986, College Scorecard. Eastern Center for Arts and Technology and PITC Institute follow. By degrees awarded, Prism Career Institute - Philadelphia is the largest, with 197 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Practical Nursing program in Pennsylvania has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Delaware County Technical School - Practical Nursing Program tops the list at $65,986. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do Nursing Assistants earn in Pennsylvania?+
The average annual wage for Nursing Assistants in Pennsylvania is $43,960 (median $44,590), across about 67,740 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What is the focus of the Practical Nursing program?+
The Practical Nursing program, also known as Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, prepares students for a career as a licensed practical nurse (LPN). This program is designed for individuals who want to provide direct nursing care to…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop active listening, monitoring, reading comprehension, speaking, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for Nursing Assistants?+
The national job outlook is about +2.3% growth with around 204,100 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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