Best institutions to study Practical Nursing
Compare 1,213 U.S. colleges offering Practical Nursing by graduate earnings, cost, and outcomes. Federal data across 56 states.
Practical Nursing programs report a median of $44,454 one year after graduation (College Scorecard, 2024), and map to CIP 51.39 and the Nursing Assistants occupation (BLS SOC).
About Practical Nursing programs
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 patients who are sick, injured, or disabled, working under the supervision of healthcare professionals. It is ideal for those seeking a rewarding career in the health professions field.
Students in the Practical Nursing program will develop essential skills such as active listening, critical thinking, and effective communication. Coursework covers vital knowledge areas including customer service, public safety, and basic medical principles, ensuring graduates are well-prepared for their roles in patient care.
Top 50 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings
Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard, predominant credential).
| # | Institution | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Completions | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harmony Health Care Institute Merrimack, NH Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $85,953 | 88 | 87% | $44,021 | $12,685 |
| 2 | Schoolcraft Community College District Livonia, MI Public · Certificate degree | $75,104 | 35 | 18% | — | $21,575 |
| 3 | Saint Michael College of Allied Health Washington, DC Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $74,782 | 31 | 83% | $40,219 | $17,713 |
| 4 | Otero College La Junta, CO Public · Certificate degree | $74,405 | 60 | 38% | — | $24,150 |
| 5 | Shawsheen Valley School of Practical Nursing Billerica, MA Public · Certificate degree | $72,230 | 32 | 80% | — | $9,397 |
| 6 | Greater Lowell Technical School Tyngsboro, MA Public · Certificate degree | $67,281 | 58 | 100% | — | $8,859 |
| 7 | Unitek College South San Francisco, CA Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $66,221 | 134 | 73% | $27,792 | $17,305 |
| 8 | Unitek College Hayward, CA Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $66,221 | 184 | 63% | $28,199 | $17,305 |
| 9 | Transitions Career Institute School of Nursing College Point, NY Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $65,992 | 90 | 79% | $38,748 | $11,750 |
| 10 | Delaware County Technical School - Practical Nursing Program Broomall, PA Public · Certificate degree | $65,986 | 70 | 70% | — | $17,375 |
| 11 | Butte College Oroville, CA Public · Associate degree | $65,467 | 132 | 45% | — | $13,382 |
| 12 | Medical Allied Career Center Santa Fe Springs, CA Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $65,387 | 29 | 81% | $31,499 | $17,130 |
| 13 | Carrington College - Sacramento Sacramento, CA Private for-profit · Associate degree | $65,035 | 122 | 51% | $38,203 | $32,832 |
| 14 | Alvin Community College Alvin, TX Public · Certificate degree | $64,976 | 101 | 24% | — | $10,215 |
| 15 | AMG School of Nursing Brooklyn, NY Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $64,878 | 85 | 79% | $33,363 | $14,167 |
| 16 | Ambria College of Nursing Hoffman Estates, IL Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $64,712 | 16 | — | — | $11,878 |
| 17 | Morgan Community College Fort Morgan, CO Public · Certificate degree | $64,066 | 106 | 45% | — | $11,750 |
| 18 | Verve College Oak Brook, IL Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $63,593 | 102 | — | — | $14,933 |
| 19 | Chattahoochee Valley Community College Phenix City, AL Public · Certificate degree | $63,335 | 53 | 36% | — | $9,875 |
| 20 | Hartnell College Salinas, CA Public · Certificate degree | $63,321 | 81 | 40% | — | — |
| 21 | Coastal Alabama Community College Bay Minette, AL Public · Associate degree | $63,125 | 211 | 31% | — | — |
| 22 | Gogebic Community College Ironwood, MI Public · Certificate degree | $62,799 | 35 | 36% | — | $14,000 |
| 23 | Mount Wachusett Community College Gardner, MA Public · Certificate degree | $62,720 | 28 | 24% | — | $14,435 |
| 24 | Holy Name Medical Center - Sister Claire Tynan School of Nursing Englewood Cliffs, NJ Private not-for-profit · Certificate degree | $62,684 | 12 | 100% | $21,187 | $18,224 |
| 25 | Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas De Queen, AR Public · Associate degree | $62,501 | 24 | 54% | — | — |
| 26 | Southeastern Technical Institute South Easton, MA Public · Certificate degree | $62,482 | 32 | 74% | — | $14,499 |
| 27 | Healthcare Training Institute Kenner, LA Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $62,470 | 21 | 29% | $22,975 | $31,500 |
| 28 | Essex County College Newark, NJ Public · Certificate degree | $62,448 | 31 | 20% | — | — |
| 29 | North - West College - Van Nuys Van Nuys, CA Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $62,356 | 63 | 60% | $33,855 | $18,845 |
| 30 | MCVSD Freehold, NJ Public · Certificate degree | $62,124 | 25 | 53% | — | $10,168 |
| 31 | Unitek College Fremont, CA Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $61,838 | 1,637 | 73% | $27,021 | $17,305 |
| 32 | Bismarck State College Bismarck, ND Public · Certificate degree | $61,629 | 40 | 47% | — | $18,297 |
| 33 | Piedmont Virginia Community College Charlottesville, VA Public · Certificate degree | $61,566 | 14 | 39% | — | — |
| 34 | Wor - Wic Community College Salisbury, MD Public · Certificate degree | $61,298 | 63 | 27% | — | $12,725 |
| 35 | Muskegon Community College Muskegon, MI Public · Certificate degree | $60,995 | 72 | 28% | — | $15,601 |
| 36 | Concorde Career College - San Diego San Diego, CA Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $60,979 | 105 | 76% | $25,970 | $17,179 |
| 37 | Dakota College at Bottineau Bottineau, ND Public · Certificate degree | $60,969 | 28 | 48% | — | $17,648 |
| 38 | Carrington College - San Jose San Jose, CA Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $60,778 | 31 | 60% | $32,608 | $32,832 |
| 39 | GateWay Community College Phoenix, AZ Public · Certificate degree | $60,620 | 339 | 29% | — | $12,898 |
| 40 | Charles A Jones Career and Education Center Sacramento, CA Public · Certificate degree | $60,282 | 19 | 65% | — | $9,498 |
| 41 | American Career College - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $60,281 | 295 | 75% | $28,906 | $17,317 |
| 42 | American Career College - Anaheim Anaheim, CA Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $60,281 | 315 | 70% | $28,590 | $17,317 |
| 43 | Rockland County BOCES - Practical Nursing Program West Nyack, NY Public · Certificate degree | $60,114 | 21 | 100% | — | $11,600 |
| 44 | North Central Missouri College Trenton, MO Public · Certificate degree | $59,889 | 73 | 58% | — | $15,750 |
| 45 | Pacific College Costa Mesa, CA Private for-profit · Associate degree | $59,213 | 103 | 63% | $21,590 | $16,125 |
| 46 | Glendale Career College Glendale, CA Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $59,140 | 94 | 63% | $46,675 | $18,075 |
| 47 | North - West College - San Diego San Diego, CA Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $59,140 | 30 | — | $43,756 | $18,075 |
| 48 | The Chicago School - College of Nursing Richardson, TX Private not-for-profit · Certificate degree | $59,039 | 7 | 25% | $26,792 | $20,324 |
| 49 | Eastwick College - Hackensack Hackensack, NJ Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $58,986 | 117 | 43% | $36,020 | $23,565 |
| 50 | Marian Health Careers Center - Los Angeles Campus Los Angeles, CA Private for-profit · Certificate degree | $58,726 | 39 | 67% | $30,729 | $12,333 |
Offered across 56 states & territories
The same program, compared state by state. Pick a state for in-state earnings and institutions.
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 31-1131, Nursing Assistants, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Practical Nursing program can expect a career as licensed practical nurses, with a job outlook that is about as fast as average, featuring approximately 204,100 annual openings. The median wage for LPNs is $39,530, and the typical education required is a postsecondary nondegree award.
Top-paying metros
Related careers
CIP-to-SOC crosswalk for Practical Nursing
The SOC occupations NCES officially maps to CIP 51.39.
Under the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, CIP 51.39 (Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants) maps to 2 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) occupations, the jobs the U.S. Department of Labor links to this field of study.
| SOC code | Occupation |
|---|---|
| 29-2061 | Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses |
| 31-1131 | Nursing Assistantsprimary |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk.
Skills & knowledge in Practical Nursing programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this program most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
What graduates do on the job
- Turn or reposition bedridden patients.
- Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs.
- Feed patients or assist patients to eat or drink.
- Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.
- Provide physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.
- Document or otherwise report observations of patient behavior, complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses.
Concentrations within Practical Nursing
Specializations under this field (NCES CIP 2020).
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse TrainingCIP 51.3901
A program that prepares individuals to assist in providing general nursing care under the direction of a registered nurse, physician or dentist
- Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/AideCIP 51.3902
A program that prepares individuals to perform routine nursing-related services to patients in hospitals or long-term care facilities, under the training and supervision of a registered nurse or licen
- Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, OtherCIP 51.3999
Any instructional program in practical nursing, vocational nursing, and nursing assistants not listed above.
Common questions
What is a licensed practical nurse (LPN)?+
An LPN is a nurse who provides direct care for patients who are sick, injured, or disabled.
What skills will I learn in this program?+
You will learn skills such as active listening, critical thinking, and effective communication.
What is the job outlook for LPNs?+
The job outlook for LPNs is about as fast as average, with around 204,100 annual openings.
What is the median wage for licensed practical nurses?+
The median wage for LPNs is $39,530.
How much do Practical Nursing graduates earn?+
Practical Nursing graduates report median earnings of $44,454 one year after graduation, per College Scorecard (2024); the Nursing Assistants occupation pays about $42,700 on average nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What is the CIP code for Practical Nursing?+
Practical Nursing maps to CIP 51.39 in the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), the U.S. Department of Education taxonomy used for College Scorecard Field of Study earnings and IPEDS completions.
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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