Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) program costs vary according to location and educational goals.
Four-year schools usually charge the highest amount of tuition.
I recommend attending a four-year school if you plan to become a Registered Nurse (RN).
However, you don’t have to acquire a four-year degree just to work as an LPN.
You can become an LPN while working towards your career as an RN.
It should only take you one or two years.
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What Your LPN Training Should Include
An LPN training program should prepare you to provide routine care for sick or injured patients.
Your time spent learning how to become an LPN should also teach you how to follow through with patient care plans.
When training to become an LPN, you should practice the following skills:
- Take patients’ heart, blood pressure, temperature, and other readings.
- Insert catheters and redress wounds.
- Provide electronic testing assistance, such as blood drawing.
- Help dress, groom, and toilet patients.
- Answer to RN for patient care instructions.
- Prepare to sit for your LPN certification exam (NCLEX-PN).
- Applying background knowledge learned in core courses (anatomy, physiology, etc.)
How Much Does LPN Training Cost?
How you prefer to learn affects how much your LPN training will cost.
Sometimes, you can save money if you take at least some of your classes online.
For Four-Year Degree Training
Four-year training probably ranges the most of all the types of schooling you can enroll in.
Some training may only cost you about $5,000 per semester.
However, schools may charge tuition of $18,000 or more for one semester.
Attending a school within the state that you currently live in usually costs you less.
However, you must have lived in that state for at least a year.
It also depends on the way a school is set up, in that you could save money on transportation but have to pay an online convenience fee.
One of the best opportunities you can take advantage of at a four-year school is the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) training.
Two schools where you could earn a BSN are the University of Pennsylvania (about $63,452 per year) and Emory University (about $57,948 per year).
Duke University may be an excellent choice.
However, you also can find schools near you if Duke isn’t.
For Two-Year Degree Training
Many local community colleges offer LPN training.
Their cost-per-hour credit is usually lower than at a four-year university too.
It depends on where you decide to earn your associate degree.
However, your tuition, not including books and supplies or other fees, will range from about $5,000-$10,000.
For Certificate Training
The least expensive LPN programs will cost you around $2,00-$4,000.
That price range may not cover the cost of your books, additional school fees, and work supplies (ex: stethoscope and scrubs).
This learning track would probably take you less than a year and earn you a certificate.
How Much Does LPN Certification Cost?
Some schools might offer free vouchers for the cost of an LPN certification exam.
The schedule of fees could change.
However, as of January 2023, it’s $200 for the NCLEX registration fee.
Other fees may apply, depending on your situation.
You may, however, have a chance to take advantage of a new free NCLEX exam preview being set up as of this year (2023).
The previous NCLEX Practice Exam (NPE) is being discontinued.
What Are Other LPN Training Costs?
Assuming you already have your own place, your housing costs may stay the same.
If you have to relocate, you’ll have to find out what the market price is for students at that new destination.
You also have to consider how much your uniforms would cost.
Sometimes, you can find good deals on scrub sets for $20-$50,000, but they could cost you $100 or more per pair.
If you need to buy shoes, the prices vary anywhere from about $25-$300 or more.
The place where you work may supply some of what you need, such as a thermometer or stethoscope and a first aid kit.
However, you may want your own vital kit to take home.
You will especially want this when first practicing your clinical stills in the early training stages.
Is Becoming an LPN Worth It?
An entry-level LPN may make up to $10,000 more per year than a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant).
However, that may not seem like that much of an income change for the amount it costs you to attend classes.
Still, it may only take you about three to five years to double your CNA salary.
Besides, becoming an LPN will prepare you for work as an RN.
That will open you up to new healthcare work opportunities that will continue to pay you higher and higher wages.
Eventually, your training as an LPN could pay off with a salary of $80,000 or more, depending on the cost of living in your region.
