Best colleges for Practical Nursing in Texas
Ranked by graduate earnings
Concorde Career College - Dallas, Concorde Career College - Grand Prairie and CyberTex Institute of Technology are the top Practical Nursing programs in Texas by graduate earnings. Concorde Career College - Dallas leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $57,339, College Scorecard. Rio Grande Valley College, Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio and Arlington Career Institute award the most Practical Nursing degrees and certificates in Texas: 345, 250 and 234 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 74 Texas colleges offer Practical Nursing and award 5,464 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 | Concorde Career College - Dallas Dallas Private for-profit · Certificate | $57,339 | 65 | 60% | $24,493 | $17,268 |
| 2 | Concorde Career College - Grand Prairie Grand Prairie Private for-profit · Certificate | $54,557 | 114 | 55% | $26,239 | $23,636 |
| 3 | CyberTex Institute of Technology Austin Private for-profit · Certificate | $53,695 | 20 | 86% | $29,356 | $21,366 |
| 4 | San Jacinto Community College Pasadena Public · Certificate | $51,679 | 78 | 30% | — | $14,250 |
| 5 | Baptist Health System School of Health Professions San Antonio Private for-profit · Certificate | $48,775 | 50 | — | — | $16,243 |
| 6 | Texas Health School Houston Private for-profit · Certificate | $48,617 | 128 | 84% | $28,968 | $22,220 |
| 7 | North Central Texas College Gainesville Public · Certificate | $47,879 | 59 | 35% | — | $18,499 |
| 8 | Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio San Antonio Private for-profit · Certificate | $46,830 | 250 | 81% | $31,019 | $16,642 |
| 9 | Rio Grande Valley College Pharr Private for-profit · Certificate | $46,825 | 345 | 72% | $22,742 | $14,117 |
| 10 | Temple College Temple Public · Certificate | $46,167 | 26 | 32% | — | $15,074 |
Colleges awarding the most Practical Nursing degrees in Texas
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 | Rio Grande Valley College Pharr Private for-profit | 345 | $46,825 |
| 2 | Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio San Antonio Private for-profit | 250 | $46,830 |
| 3 | Arlington Career Institute Arlington Private for-profit | 234 | Not reported |
| 4 | Dallas College Dallas Public | 206 | Not reported |
| 5 | Southwest Texas College Uvalde Public | 205 | $26,691 |
| 6 | Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies Weslaco Private not-for-profit | 169 | $30,574 |
| 7 | Texas Health School Houston Private for-profit | 128 | $48,617 |
| 8 | Galen Health Institutes-Houston Houston Private for-profit | 117 | Not reported |
| 9 | Concorde Career College - Grand Prairie Grand Prairie Private for-profit | 114 | $54,557 |
| 10 | CTK Healthcare & Career Institute Irving Private for-profit | 108 | Not reported |
ShowHide the other 64 Texas colleges offering Practical Nursing
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Nursing Assistants (SOC 31-1131).
Top skills
What Nursing Assistants earn in Texas
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Practical Nursing programs in Texas.
Which Texas colleges award the most Practical Nursing degrees?+
Rio Grande Valley College (345 graduates a year), Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio (250 graduates a year) and Arlington Career Institute (234 graduates a year) award the most Practical Nursing degrees and certificates in Texas, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 74 Texas colleges offer Practical Nursing.
What is the best college for Practical Nursing in Texas?+
By graduate earnings, Concorde Career College - Dallas leads among Practical Nursing programs in Texas, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $57,339, College Scorecard. Concorde Career College - Grand Prairie and CyberTex Institute of Technology follow. By degrees awarded, Rio Grande Valley College is the largest, with 345 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Practical Nursing program in Texas has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Concorde Career College - Dallas tops the list at $57,339. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do Nursing Assistants earn in Texas?+
The average annual wage for Nursing Assistants in Texas is $38,780 (median $37,500), across about 88,680 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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