What is the cheapest LVN program in California with a good pass rate?

Of the California programs that report tuition and passed at least the national first-time rate (86.59%) over 2021-2025 on 40 or more candidates, the cheapest is College of the Desert at about $2,702, with 93.8% of 80 candidates passing. 27 of the 44 programs on that list charge $10,000 or less. Source: BVNPT tuition costs for approved schools and BVNPT vocational nursing program pass rates.

Which Texas LVN programs have the most consistent NCLEX-PN pass rates?

51 open Texas programs stayed at or above the board's 80% line in every year they had first-time candidates, over at least three years and 40 or more candidates. The highest five-year rates are Alvin Community College (100.0%), Northeast Texas Community College (100.0%), Howard College (100.0%). Source: Texas BON, VN pass rates for last 5 years, first-time test takers.

Why is there no tuition for Texas programs?

The Texas Board of Nursing publishes pass rates but not tuition for vocational nursing programs. Ask each school for its total cost of attendance, including books, uniform, the NCLEX-PN fee and licensing.

ProgramsBest value

Programs that pass their students, without the private price

44 California programs beat the national NCLEX-PN pass rate over five years on 40 or more candidates. The cheapest charges about $2,702. In Texas, 51 programs never dropped below the board’s 80% line in any year. Every figure is the board’s own; the filter is ours and is stated on each table.

California, 2021-2025

44 programs at or above 86.59%, cheapest first

Filter: board-reported tuition, at least 40 first-time candidates across the five exam years, and a five-year pass rate at or above the 2025 national first-time rate. Tuition excludes books, uniform, exam and licensing fees.

Program	Type	Tuition	Candidates	Five-year pass rate
College of the Desert	Community college	$2,702	80	93.8%
City College of San Francisco	Community college	$2,787	130	87.7%
Rio Hondo College	Community college	$3,337	86	95.3%
Chaffey College	Community college	$3,460	144	89.6%
Fresno Adult School	Adult school	$3,700	154	89.6%
Lassen Community College	Community college	$3,934	50	98%
Santa Barbara City College	Community college	$4,100	86	98.8%
Gavilan College	Community college	$4,152	44	93.2%
MiraCosta College	Community college	$4,200	73	93.2%
Imperial Valley College	Community college	$4,400	80	98.8%
Pasadena City College, Health Sciences Division	Community college	$4,463	88	90.9%
Butte College	Community college	$4,600	80	91.3%
Antelope Valley College	Community college	$4,681	97	94.8%
Riverside City College, School of Nursing	Community college	$4,708	265	98.1%
Long Beach City College	Community college	$5,000	201	98.0%
College of the Redwoods, Eureka	Community college	$5,000	48	93.8%
Cerro Coso Community College	Community college	$5,035	60	90%
Allan Hancock College	Community college	$5,200	161	97.5%
Grossmont Health Occupations Center	Adult school	$5,500	184	97.8%
Tulare Adult School	Adult school	$5,660	58	91.4%
Hartnell College	Community college	$5,666	128	90.6%
Citrus College	Community college	$5,920	203	95.1%
Merced College	Community college	$6,000	97	87.6%
Hacienda La Puente Adult Education, Willow Center	Adult school	$6,319	57	91.2%
Southwestern College	Community college	$6,848	80	95%
Inland Career Education Center	Adult school	$6,900	89	97.8%
Bakersfield College	Community college	$7,286	128	94.5%
Clovis Adult Education	Adult school	$15,000	229	89.5%
North Orange County Regional Occupational Program	Regional occupational program	$17,000	113	92.0%
College of Nursing & Technology	Private school	$20,900	78	94.9%
Xavier College	Private school	$27,000	242	96.3%
Moriah Medical College	Private school	$28,550	74	97.3%
Sri Sai Krish Institute	Private school	$29,900	106	90.6%
Angeles College, Los Angeles	Private school	$30,500	169	89.9%
University of Antelope Valley	Private school	$31,657	97	94.8%
Career Development Institute, Inc.	Private school	$31,801	338	87.6%
Concorde Career College, Garden Grove	Private school	$32,452	512	87.9%
Institute of Technology, Modesto	Private school	$34,284	331	90.9%
Unitek College, Sacramento	Private school	$36,352	1,169	87.0%
Concorde Career College, San Diego	Private school	$36,422	504	94.2%
American Career College, Los Angeles	Private school	$38,094	1,339	90.8%
American Career College, Anaheim (Orange County)	Private school	$38,094	1,326	87.6%
Stanbridge University, Irvine	Private school	$39,995	772	94.9%
Stanbridge University, Los Angeles	Private school	$39,995	410	91.0%

Source: BVNPT vocational nursing program pass rates

Texas, five-year file

51 programs that never fell below 80%

Filter: open programs with first-time candidates in at least three of the board’s five years, 40 or more candidates in total, and no year below the 80% line that triggers a board self-study. Sorted by five-year pass rate.

Program	City	Candidates	Worst year	Five-year pass rate
Alvin Community College	Alvin	109	100.0%	100%
Northeast Texas Community College	Mount Pleasant	75	100.0%	100%
Howard College	Big Spring	45	100.0%	100%
McLennan Community College MEEP	Waco	43	100.0%	100%
Odessa College	Monahans	118	96.3%	99.2%
Texarkana College	Texarkana	186	93.5%	98.9%
The College of Health Care Professions	Houston	72	88.9%	98.6%
Edwin’s Healthcare Institute	Stafford	60	90.9%	98.3%
South Plains College at Reese Center	Lubbock	146	95.5%	97.9%
Collin College	McKinney	252	95.8%	97.6%
Howard College	San Angelo	187	94.3%	97.3%
Blinn College	Brenham	207	93.3%	97.1%
Odessa College	Andrews	199	92.3%	96.5%
San Jacinto College North	Houston	191	93.0%	96.3%
Austin Community College	Austin	289	91.4%	95.8%
Lone Star College - Kingwood	Kingwood	70	92.9%	95.7%
Victoria College	Victoria	274	93.0%	95.3%
Navarro College	Mexia	84	83.3%	95.2%
Del Mar College - MEEP	Corpus Christi	42	83.3%	95.2%
Lone Star College North Harris MEEP	Houston	42	90.9%	95.2%
Amarillo College	Amarillo	229	90.9%	95.2%
Brazosport Community College	Lake Jackson	58	91.7%	94.8%
Cisco College	Abilene	253	83.3%	94.5%
Army Practical Nurse Course	Ft. Sam Houston	1,448	89.5%	94.3%
North Central Texas College	Gainesville	308	84.6%	94.2%
Navarro College	Waxahachie	222	86.3%	94.1%
Trinity Valley Community College	Terrell	101	81.8%	94.1%
Laredo College	Laredo	320	89.6%	93.8%
Temple College	Temple	140	87.0%	93.6%
Texas Health School	Houston	255	87.9%	93.3%
Rio Grande Valley College	Pharr	1,035	91.0%	92.9%
Lamar State College	Port Arthur	312	88.7%	92.6%
Grayson College	Van Alstyne	181	87.1%	92.3%
St. Philip’s College	San Antonio	312	87.0%	92.0%
Navarro College	Corsicana	171	88.9%	91.8%
McLennan Community College - Traditional	Waco	119	80.0%	91.6%
Angelina College at Lufkin Traditional	Lufkin	130	81.8%	91.5%
Paris Junior College	Paris	232	82.1%	91.4%
Galen College of Nursing	San Antonio	2,101	84.6%	91.3%
South Texas College	McAllen	758	84.1%	91.3%
Angelina College at Lufkin MEEP	Lufkin	137	82.3%	91.2%
Panola College	Carthage	249	84.3%	91.2%
San Jacinto College South	Houston	213	80.0%	91.1%
Vernon College	Vernon	289	82.8%	91.0%
El Paso Community College at Mission Del Paso	El Paso	173	82.8%	90.8%
Hill College	Hillsboro	95	80.8%	90.5%
Tyler Junior College	Tyler	523	83.9%	90.4%
Ranger College	Early	90	82.3%	90%
Texas State Technical College West Texas	Sweetwater	153	87.1%	88.9%
Coastal Bend College	Beeville	240	81.6%	88.3%
Houston Community College	Houston	325	83.0%	85.2%

Source: Texas BON, VN pass rates for last 5 years, first-time test takers

Common questions

What is the cheapest LVN program in California with a good pass rate?: Of the California programs that report tuition and passed at least the national first-time rate (86.59%) over 2021-2025 on 40 or more candidates, the cheapest is College of the Desert at about $2,702, with 93.8% of 80 candidates passing. 27 of the 44 programs on that list charge $10,000 or less. Source: BVNPT tuition costs for approved schools and BVNPT vocational nursing program pass rates.
Which Texas LVN programs have the most consistent NCLEX-PN pass rates?: 51 open Texas programs stayed at or above the board's 80% line in every year they had first-time candidates, over at least three years and 40 or more candidates. The highest five-year rates are Alvin Community College (100.0%), Northeast Texas Community College (100.0%), Howard College (100.0%). Source: Texas BON, VN pass rates for last 5 years, first-time test takers.
Why is there no tuition for Texas programs?: The Texas Board of Nursing publishes pass rates but not tuition for vocational nursing programs. Ask each school for its total cost of attendance, including books, uniform, the NCLEX-PN fee and licensing.

Preparing for the NCLEX-PN

A strong program is half of it. The other half is the hours you put into practice questions before the exam.

UWorld →NCLEX-PN question bank
Archer Review →NCLEX-PN question bank
Kaplan →NCLEX-PN prep course
SimpleNursing →Video lessons and NCLEX-PN questions
Mometrix →NCLEX-PN study guide and flashcards

In no particular order. No provider pays to be listed or to be first. Disclosure.